Dominican Friars

Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

Today we celebrate St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians. Music can unite us, for we cannot be enemies while we sing together. Perhaps we can use music to bring us together at a time after the elections when we are so divided.

Based on Hosea 2:16bc, 17cd, 21-22

On that day, says the Lord, I will make for you a covenant with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety. And I will take you for my wife for ever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.

(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)

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:

A Word of Hope for February 14, 2023

Feb 14, 2023 by Fr. Brian Walker, OP

Fr. Brian Walker, OP reminds us that we already have all that we need, we just need to look around us and see it—especially when it comes to personal relationships.
A Word of Hope for February 13, 2023

Feb 13, 2023 by Br. Joseph Trout, OP

Br. Joe Trout, OP, commenting on the story of Cain and Abel, says that God does not treat us all the same or give us all the same gifts because God sees each of us in our uniqueness.
A Word of Hope for February 12, 2023

Feb 12, 2023 by Br. Joseph Trout, OP

Br. Joe Trout, OP looks at the way that Jesus expands the Law with "You have heard it said...but I say...," noting that he is showing what it is like when you internalize the law and apply it to everything in your life.
A Word of Hope for February 11, 2023

Feb 11, 2023 by Fr. James Marchionda, OP

Fr. James Marchionda, OP, recalling the miraculous feeding of four thousand people by Jesus, reminds us that on this Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, modern people go to Lourdes to be fed by God, and to receive comfort and healing in their lives.
A Word of Hope for February 10, 2023

Feb 10, 2023 by Fr. James Marchionda, OP

Fr. James Marchionda, OP, recalling how Jesus healed the deaf man, asks us each to think where we need this kind of healing in our own lives. Are there people we cannot or will not hear?
A Word of Hope for February 9, 2023

Feb 9, 2023 by Fr. Luke Barder, OP

Fr. Luke Barder, OP, recalling that God said, "it is not good for man to be alone," reminds us that we are most fully ourselves and most fully God-like in relationship with others.
A Word of Hope for February 8, 2023

Feb 8, 2023 by Fr. Luke Barder, OP

Fr. Luke Barder, OP, recalling how God breathed life into Adam, asks us to look deep within to discover that place where God dwells.
A Word of Hope for February 7, 2023

Feb 7, 2023 by Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP

Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP challenges us to adopt the spirit of sabbath rest, stopping to count the blessings of our lives and this world, which God pronounced "good."
A Word of Hope for February 6, 2023

Feb 6, 2023 by Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP

Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP, recalling how Jesus often says "it is your faith that healed you," asks us to recognize the amazing power of faith to heal us, and asks us to think about how we need to be healed.
A Word of Hope for February 5, 2023

Feb 5, 2023 by Fr. Brendan Curran, OP

Fr. Brendan Curran, OP reminds us to let that light shine that God lit inside each of us.
A Word of Hope for February 4, 2023

Feb 4, 2023 by Fr. Brendan Curran, OP

Fr. Brendan Curran, OP, remembering Jesus' promise that he is the Good Shepherd, asks us to remember the shepherds in our own lives through whom Jesus has guided us.
A Word of Hope for February 3, 2023

Feb 3, 2023 by Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP, recalling the beheading of John the Baptist, asks how far we would go to protect our reputation, and challenges us to go further to actually be people of integrity.
A Word of Hope for February 2, 2023

Feb 2, 2023 by Fr. James Marchionda, OP

Fr. James Marchionda, OP, recalling the words of the Canticle of Simeon, challenges us to stand up to change the world so that parents no longer have to witness the murder of their children.
A word of Hope for February 1, 2023

Feb 1, 2023 by Fr. James Marchionda, OP

Fr, James Marchionda, OP asks us if we believe in one another, so that we can help each other to become the best versions of ourselves.
A Word of Hope for January 31, 2023

Jan 31, 2023 by Fr. James Marchionda, OP

Fr. James Marchionda, OP challenges us to persevere in our faith no matter what, as did Jesus, so that we can be preachers of hope to a world that is in desperate need of that message.
A Word of Hope for January 30, 2023

Jan 30, 2023 by Fr. Don Goergen, OP

Fr. Donald Goergen, OP points out that hope does not always come easily, and challenges us to cling to hope, trusting that our hope ultimately lies with Jesus.
A Word of Hope for January 29, 2023

Jan 29, 2023 by Fr. Don Goergen, OP

Fr. Donald Goergen, OP asks us to take on the challenge of living as the Beatitudes envision, a quintessentially Christian life, that is pure of heart, poor in spirit, and completely focussed on God.
A Word of Hope for January 28, 2023

Jan 28, 2023 by Fr. Yamil A. Samalot Rivera, OP

For the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas,Fr. Yamil Samalot Rivera, OP challenges us to navigate the storms of ideas we face in the modern world with the faith and steadfastness of Aquinas.
A Word of Hope for January 27, 2023

Jan 27, 2023 by Fr. Yamil A. Samalot Rivera, OP

Fr. Yamil Samalot Rivera, OP reminds us that when doing God's, we need to have the patience of a farmer, who must wait for the crops to grow.
A Word of Hope for January 26, 2023

Jan 26, 2023 by Br. Ed Van Merrienboer, OP

Br. Edward Van Merrienboer, OP advises us to grow and share our faith, lest it diminish instead.
A Word of Hope for January 25, 2023

Jan 25, 2023 by Br. Ed Van Merrienboer, OP

Br. Edward Van Merrienboer, OP calls us spend time working on our friendship with Jesus and then sharing that friendship with others.
A Word of Hope for January 24, 2023

Jan 24, 2023 by Fr. James Marchionda, OP

Fr. James Marchionda, OP explains how Jesus broadens out the Christian understanding of familial love to include all of the people we choose to call family.
A Word of Hope for January 23, 2023

Jan 23, 2023 by Fr. James Marchionda, OP

On the day when the Church calls for prayers for the legal protection of the unborn, Fr. James Marchionda, OP reminds us to choose life, and to be people who project that Gospel message to others.
A Word of Hope for January 22, 2023

Jan 22, 2023 by Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP asks us to read the signs of the times, as Jesus did when he began his own ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist.

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