Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

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On this Feast of Pentecost we celebrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which manifest God's love inside each of us, allowing us to reach out to others in love to preach the Gospel.

Based on Acts 2:1–11

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’

(New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org)

Every day the Chicago Dominicans offer "A Word of Hope" video to bolster our faith through these trying times. You can see them here, and you can have them emailed to you each morning by signing up for our email service:

  • 6 Mar • What you have seen

    In Deuteronomy we hear, "Do not forget the things your own eyes have seen." We need to remember that today, for we have all seen glimpses of the great things God has done for us in the first words or first steps of a child. It is what we have already see that should give us hope for what is possible in our world.
  • 5 Mar • Forgive 77 times

    Jesus challenges us to forgive not 7 times, but 77 times. This does not mean that we need to have warm feelings towards them or to reconcile with them, but it is the first step of the process that opens then way to these possibilities. Can we hope that the person who hurt us might grow? Can we help bring this about through forgiveness?
  • 28 Feb • Right side up

    Jesus tells his followers whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant. This is looking at the world the way God sees it, the right way up, unlike when we have allowed our own vision to be skewed, thinking servanthood is low.
  • 26 Feb • God is merciful

    Jesus tells us to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful. We do not have to wait for heaven to experience God's mercy, it is available every day in the confessional.
  • 25 Feb • Challenge and Mercy

    In the Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John get challenged to believe that Jesus really is God's son, but that challenge is also a mercy, welcoming them into the heart of God. May we find the challenge and the mercy this Lent.
  • 23 Feb • Develop your virtue

    The readings today talk about developing virtue, the inclination to choose to do what is good. Virtue is skill that is developed, and Lent is perfect time to work on it. What virtue would you like to work on this Lent?
  • 22 Feb • The good and the bad

    On this Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we remember that Jesus built his church on the rock that is Peter. But we also remember that he next told Peter, "Get behind me Satan!" There is good and bad in all of us, so let's celebrate the good and forgive and challenge the bad.
  • 21 Feb • The sign of Jonah

    Jesus told the crowds that they will get no sign from him except the "sign of Jonah." Jonah tried to run from God until he spent three days in the belly of the whale. When he came out, he had a new conviction. Likewise, the apostles, after the resurrection, preached with a new conviction. May our preaching be as powerful.
  • 18 Feb • God promises new life

    God made a promise with Noah after the flood that there would never be another one. By Jesus' death and resurrection, we are promised not that we will never die, but that for every death, there can be a resurrection. Trust that promise to lead you out of the darkness of death.
  • 14 Feb • Confess your love

    On this Ash Wednesday which coincides with Valentine's Day, we are challenged not just to privately confess our sins, but to publicly confess our love for one another and our trust in the mercy of God.
  • 13 Feb • Rekindle desire

    In his letter, James assures us that God tempts no one. Rather, our desires tempt us. But within each of us there is a deeper desire for what is good and holy. Let us reawaken that desire in ourselves, and help to rekindle it in others.