This is Father Robert Barron. Friends, I invite you to reflect with me on the word of God, which is the word on fire.

Word on fire Catholic Ministries is a non-for-profit apostolate dedicated to the mission of evangelization.

We utilize media both old and new to share the faith on every continent and to facilitate an encounter with Christ and His Church.

Through our efforts, we hope to take the gospel out into the peripheries of the culture, where the transformative power of God's Word is most needed.

Let us open our hearts to the word on fire, which is God's Word of Love for each one of us.

If our hearts are open, the Lord can change and transform us, so that we might share the warmth and light of Jesus Christ, who is the Word on fire.

The global benefactors of Word on fire with the support of the arts diocese of Chicago now present Word on fire.

Peace be with you. Friends, we begin today the Advent season, the New Year. The New Church Year has commenced.

Advent the time of waiting and watching for the coming of the Messiah.

You want to know the single biggest challenge of this season.

Really to feel our need for a Savior. Let me say it again.

Biggest challenge of the Advent season is to feel our need for a Savior.

As I've said many times before, we tend to domesticate Christ, reducing him to the level of a guru, a teacher, a spiritual guide, a wise philosopher.

It bets all he is to heck with him.

We do violence to the gospel when we present him that way, because the gospel presents him as a Savior.

Jesus is someone who has rescued us, has saved us, who has done something that we could never even in principle do for ourselves.

Therefore, until we truly feel what it means to be lost and helpless, we will not appreciate who Jesus is and what he means.

You know what's helpful to reflect on here is the meaning of the word redemption.

Redeemeray means to buy back in Latin.

So it's a term that is used to describe the process of getting a kidnapped person back.

Someone has been held for ransom. Now their family has paid the ransom and so he's been redeemed.

If you're kidnapped, you're held captive. There's not much you can do.

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