Dominican Friars
Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

A Word of Hope

In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." His mother, Mary, lived in such a way as to always point to God rather than to herself. We should do the same.

Based on Matthew 12:46-50

While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, ‘Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’

(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)

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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:

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    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.
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    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.
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    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?
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    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:
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    26 May • Delving into the mystery of God

    The Trinity—three persons, one God—is a mystery far beyond our comprehension. But rather than trying to grasp it, Jesus tells his followers to go out and make disciples from all the nations on earth in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In that encounter with a diverse group of others, all made in the image of God, we will learn more about God than we will by pondering the mystery.
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    24 May • Helping struggling families

    Building on Jesus' teaching against divorce and the Church's teaching that the family as the domestic church is the basic building block of a stable society, we are challenged to reach out to help families that are struggling, to help them draw closer to God's love.
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    23 May • What causes you to sin?

    Jesus told his followers that if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. He did not want us to take this literally, but he does want us to take it seriously, and to ltry to let go of the things that lead us into sin.
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    22 May • Accept the gifts of others

    When it was reported that people who were not his disciples were driving out demons in his name, Jesus did not try to stop them, or get them to join his group, but told his disciples "whoever is not against us is for us." Can we acknowledge gifts of others for ministry without needing them to conform to our own theological views or become members of our own church?
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    21 May • Boast only in the Lord

    The Letter of James asks where the wars and conflicts among us come from, and then the Gospel describes an argument the disciples had about who was the greatest among them. To follow Jesus we need to serve one another in a spirit of true humility.
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    20 May • Mary, Mother of the Church

    On this memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, we remember that Jesus gave us his mother as our mother from the cross. Mary can now be a reminder of the love of Jesus for us so that we can flourish in the love of God.
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    17 May • Jesus meets us where we are

    In a famous scene from the Gospel of John, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him perfectly, and all Peter can do is reply that he loves him as a brother. So Jesus accepts this as a starting point in order to help Peter move towards a more perfect love. In the same way, God meets us where we are in order to help us get to where we want to be.
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    15 May • We are consecrated by God

    The Apostle Paul warns to be watchful because there will come wolves to devour the sheep, while in the Gospel, Jesus asks God to consecrate his disciples in the truth, as he has been consecrated. Are there areas in your life that you need to be reminded that you have been consecrated to be a part of God's plan?
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