This is Cardinal Francis George. I invite you to join me for the next two minutes to reflect

with Father Robert Barron on the Word of God, which is the Word on Fire. Word on Fire Catholic

Ministries is a non-profit ministry at the forefront of Catholic evangelization, using

new media to spread the faith and every continent. Father Barron challenges us to open our hearts

to the Word on Fire, which is God's Word of Love for each of us. If our hearts are open,

the Lord can change and transform us so that we might speak with love about the one who

is love. The global benefactors of Word on Fire with the support of the Archdiocese of

Chicago now present Word on Fire. Peace be with you. Friends, as the liturgical year comes

to a close, the church typically gives us apocalyptic readings for our consideration.

Now, as I've said before, the word apocalypsis in Greek has nothing to do at least directly

with the end of the world. What it means, literally, is unveiling apocalypso, taking the veil

away, hence revvelazio when it was translated into Latin, taking away the veil. And so what

we're meant to see now in these apocalyptic readings is something revealed, something

disclosed to us that we wouldn't normally see. Okay? Now, our first reading is a stark

little passage from the prophet Malachi, whose book, by the way, is the last book in the Old

Testament. So there's something about the end of things there in Malachi. Here's what

he said, low, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and evil

doers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire. Well, it's

pretty strong stuff. Then we hear this, but for you who fear my name, there will arise

the son of justice with its healing rays. Now, it's typical of apocalyptic literature.

You've got bad news and good news, and the good news seems to have the last word. See,

we can focus too much on just the frightening side of these texts, but in the apocalyptic

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