Dominican Friars
Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

A Word of Hope

Jesus sent out his disciples "like sheep among wolves," knowing that they would encounter difficulties. Yet he sent his Holy Spirit with them as well. You and I are sent to preach the Good News as well. Ask God to give you the courage and wisdom you need to endure in this task. God will provide.

00:00 Introduction – Fr. Tom Lynch in Chicago
00:13 Jesus Sends the Disciples on Mission
00:25 “Sheep Among Wolves”: A Call to Suffer
00:36 The Promise of the Holy Spirit
00:53 Hope Amid Suffering
01:01 Do We Have the Courage?
01:13 Instruments of Hope and Healing
01:25 Walking in the Way of God

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:

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    10 Dec • Mary, the New Eve

    On this Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto, we see Mary as the new Eve. Through the disobedience of Eve, our relationship with God was wounded. Yet Eve received a promise that God would restore this relationship, and the promise is fulfiled through the obedience of Mary, the New Eve, who said "let it be done to me according to your word." Might we repeat those words with Mary today?
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    8 Dec • Finding fulfillment

    The Apostle Paul assures us that God will bring the good work started in us to completion and so we will be fulfilled. In Advent, we remind ourselves that we cannot do this for ourselves and need God's saviour. Let us place that trust in God now so that we can find the completion of this hope in the future.
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    5 Dec • Building a firm foundation

    Jesus said that those who listen to him and acted on his word were like those who built their house on a firm foundation. While the foundation of a real house might be difficult to fix, the Good News is that we can strengthen the foundations of our faith every day by simply living out our faith. Thus we need not worry about our lack of faith or what might come if we simply live each day according to our faith.
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    4 Dec • A saviour for all

    Isaiah promised that he coming saviour will provide a rich feast for all peoples, not just for some. Jesus on the mountain miraculously healed all the sick and provided food for everyone. When we see small gains for some at the expense of others, know that this is not the promise, and work and pray and hope for more. To accept a second-rate saviour is to give up on the real one.
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    3 Dec • The Good News is revealed to the childlike

    Jesus said that although the the Good News was hidden from the wise and the learned, it was revealed to the childlike. "The learned" had too many expectations about how God would exactly fulfil this promise and so could not see that it was being fulfilled differently than their expectations. The childlike have no expectations and are thus free to see what is and trust it, even it they do not understand it fully. That is the childlike faith we should have.
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    1 Dec • Do not be distracted

    As we begin a new liturgical year, the Prophet Jeremiah reminds us of God's promise to raise up for us "The Lord of Justice." Yet we are also reminded in the Gospel not to let the anxieties of life distract us from our duty to always stand on God's side, full of joy, vigilant for the cry of the poor, joining in spreading the message that our salvation is near.
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    30 Nov • We have heard and thus believe

    St. Paul assures us that all who call on God will be heard. Yet we can only believe because we have been told. Christian life is inherently communal, and thus we celebrate in community the passing of the seasons, and our gratefulness to God.
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    29 Nov • Born anew

    The Book of Revelation speaks of a new heaven and a new earth coming to be as the old world passes away. December is the Month for Peace, and this year the Dominicans are focussing on Haiti where amidst great destructions, some courageous Dominicans are trying to bring forth new signs of hope.
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    28 Nov • The action of gratitude

    Jesus healed ten lepers and only of them came back to thank him. It is important not only to be grateful in our hearts, but to take action on that gratitude by saying "thank you" or passing on our blessings to others so that they also might be blessed.
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    26 Nov • The right questions

    Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple and his disciples naturally wanted to know when it would happen and what signs would accompany it. Jesus told them that many will claim to have answers, but they should not believe them. We have many questions, but we should not accept easy answers to many of them. The question that really matters is how to best live today, and that changes day by day.
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    25 Nov • The widow's mite reconsidered

    Jesus noticed a widow putting a small amount of money oint he temple treasury and told his disciples that she has put in more than all the rich people because she has given all she has to live on. In the context of Luke's Gospel we see that Jesus was not so much praising her generosity as he was condemning the temple system that rested on the backs of the poor "devours the houses of widows." The Good News for us is that God is not asking us to kill ourselves in helping others, but to do what we can with the riches given to us.
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    24 Nov • Following Christ the King

    Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. In our Gospel, we hear that Jesus' Kingdom is not of this world, and yet, all creation is indeed subject to him, and if we are to live in truth, we must listen to his voice. In a democracy, we do that with our votes and with how we treat our employees and employers, but above all, we are to proclaim Christ as King to others, not forcing them to believe, but inviting them to believe.
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    23 Nov • The answer to our questions

    In today's Gospel, the Sadducees try to trip up Jesus with a question about the resurrection. Jesus had an answer, though they did not want to hear it. Jesus ultimately has the answer for all our deepest questions, so let us not be afraid to ask them if we want answers.
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    21 Nov • Pointing to God

    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.
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    20 Nov • Growing in our faith

    In today's gospel, we hear Luke's version of Matthew's parable of the talents, where a rich man goes away and leaves his money in the care of his servants. This versions stresses the need to invest the faith we have been given by proclaiming God's graces.
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    19 Nov • Christians in a pagan society

    In the Book of Revelation we hear a challenge for Christians living in a pagan society to hold fast to their faith, living in the world but not being of the world. We live in a very secular world. Can we live as Christians without caving in to the values of this secular world?
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    18 Nov • A complex encounter with Jesus

    In today's Gospel, a blind man hears that Jesus is coming and calls out to him. The crowd tells him to shut up, but Jesus calls him over and heals him. This is a complex story about the many ways we respond to God's presence in our life. Are we like the blind man, the crowd who tells him to shut up, or the crowd who is amazed at the healing? Which type of encounter do we want to have with Jesus?
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    17 Nov • We are stewards, not Masters

    In today's Gospel Jesus talks about the end times, when heaven and earth will pass away. What is revealed is that we are not masters of the world or even of our own lives. God is. We are only stewards of our little corner of it. The Good News is that when this time comes, God will collect and protect his faithful. So don't worry, just tend to the little part of the world that God has given you to be steward over. The Master will handle the rest.
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