Dominican Friars
Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

A Word of Hope

A Word of Hope by Fr. Samuel Hakeem, OP.

Join us for a powerful daily Catholic homily reflecting on the Gospel of John, where Jesus heals the son of a royal official in Cana. In this insightful Catholic reflection, Fr. Samuel delves into Jesus' challenging words about signs and wonders, and explores the true nature of faith. Discover how miracles serve as signs pointing to Jesus' divine identity and our ultimate salvation, rather than mere displays of power. Learn how to cultivate a deeper relationship with God, beyond seeking earthly blessings, and embrace the promise of eternal life.

This Lenten season, let this homily guide you in strengthening your faith in Jesus and understanding the profound love God has poured into your heart. We give thanks for the miracles, but most importantly, for the gift of faith in the Holy Spirit. #catholicfaith 
#Homily #DailyHomily #Lent #CatholicChurch #Gospel #Jesus #Faith #Miracles #Christianity

A Word of Hope with dove

Every day the Chicago Dominicans offer "A Word of Hope" video to bolster our faith through these trying times. We welcome any feedback you have at hope@opcentral.org . You can see them all below, or you can see other preaching by a particular person by clicking on his name, and you can have them emailed to you each morning by signing up for our email service:

* indicates required

Email Format

  •

    19 Jun • Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving

    Jesus told his disciples to practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving not so that others might see, but with sincerity, knowing that God will see these righteous deeds. These are the basic actions of every Christian disciple, all of which direct us back into right relationship with God.

  • 18 Jun • Respond to your God-given gifts

    Jesus said to love our enemies. We do that not because they deserve it, but as a response to the love of God already poured out on us in our own lives. We show our thanks for God's unconditional love in the way we live, by loving others unconditionally.
  •

    17 Jun • Do not resist an evildoer

    Jesus said, "you have heard, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil." This is a difficult saying for us to embrace. It is difficult not to retaliate against evil, but God says "no." To help, imagine what God thinks looking at the devastation in the cities of Ukraine and Gaza.
  •

    16 Jun • Let God be God

    In Jesus' parables of the Kingdom of God, he teaches us that God is always working within us in hidden ways to bring about great things. We just need to trust that grace, and let God be God.
  •

    15 Jun • Speaking with integrity

    Jesus said not to swear to the truth but to simply let our "yes" be yes and our "no" be no. In this world, we accept that people lie and therefore need these markers that this time we are not lying. But in the Reign of God, everyone will simply speak the truth all the time, and so we should move in that direction now.
  •

    13 Jun • Anger against a brother or sister

    The law says "thou shalt not kill", but Jesus adds that even if we are angry with our brother or sister we are liable to judgement. Even more radically, if our brother or sister has reason to be angry with us, we also need to heal that division before we come to the altar. Relationship is a two way street.
  •

    11 Jun • Salt and Light for the whole world

    Jesus told his disciples that they are to be the salt of the earth and lamps on a lampstand. Thus, we are called to bring the light of Christ to everyone around us that is struggling with darkness, or to allow others to shine their light on us if we are in darkness.
  •

    10 Jun • The double gift of mercy

    In the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." When we extend mercy to others, we are also blessed, so this gift is doubled. When we are wronged it is quote natural to want vengeance, Intead, we would be better off to seek justice tempered with mercy.
  •

    8 Jun • Burning with love

    On this memorial of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, we remember Mary as having the perfect human heart, untouched by sin. In iconography, Mary's Immaculate Heart is pictured in flames, recalling the burning bush that Moses encountered on Mount Horeb from which God spoke of his desire to save humanity. Mary's heart was grafted on to God's heart when she said agreed to become the Mother of God. Even though we see in the Gospel that Mary did not always understand the plan of God, her burning love never wavered.
  •

    7 Jun • Love takes flesh

    For the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are invited to see Jesus as the absolute love of God taken flesh so that we might be able to enter heaven—a proof of the love of God for us.
  •

    6 Jun • The center of our faith

    Seeking to understand the center of faith, a scribe asked Jesus, "what is the first commandment:" The answer was to love God with all of your heart, understanding and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is the center of our faith, not rubrics and sacrifice.
  •

    5 Jun • As my ancestors did

    St. Paul tells us that he worships God "with a clear conscience as my ancestors did" even though his faith is moving in a different direction. Are we still open, in good faith, to allowing the Power of God to lead us in new directions in our understanding of scriptures?
  •

    2 Jun • That all might have enough

    On this Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we remember Jesus' command to share this sacred meal "in remembrance of me." This still stands as a challenge to us to share our blessings with one another so that each one has enough.

    Based on Mark 14:12–16, 22–26:
  •

    1 Jun • The authority of the Gospel

    The Jewish authorities challenged Jesus' authority to be teaching in the Temple because he was not credentialed by them. It is our faith and the Gospel itself that gives us the authority to go out and do great things in the world, not any other title or credential we hold.
  •

    29 May • Though the earth pass away...

    Salvation comes from the precious Blood of Christ, who was before the world began and will be forever. Thus, salvation is greater than silver or gold, because they can pass away, but even if the universe passes away, the salvific love of God will not.
  •

    28 May • Being part of the household of God

    Jesus tells us that if we are part of his household, we will have many mothers, brothers, and sisters and we will inherit eternal life in heaven—but we will also inherit persecution and suffering in this life. To join this family we do not have to abandon our own, but it is our truest family.
Subscribe to A Word of Hope