Dominican Friars
Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

11 January • The Mystery of Jesus's Baptism & Our Spiritual Rebirth

A Word of Hope

Join Father Samuel Hakeem, OP for "A Word of Hope" as he reflects on the profound and often surprising Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Why did Jesus, who was without sin and in perfect relationship with God, choose to be baptized?

In this insightful message, Fr. Samuel explores the deeper meaning behind Christ's baptism, explaining how it not only shows us the path to a new covenant but also profoundly sanctifies the entire world through the very waters of baptism. Discover the beauty of the sacramental life and how tangible elements like water convey intangible grace, leading to our spiritual rebirth.

Learn why the Christmas season culminates with this significant feast, reminding us of the incredible gift of our own baptism – a rebirth in grace and the indwelling of the Holy Trinity. Take a moment to give thanks for this divine gift!

What you'll learn in this video:
  The unexpected nature of Jesus's baptism despite being sinless.
  The dual purpose of baptism: for forgiveness of sins and initiating a relationship with God.
  How Jesus's baptism sanctifies the waters of the world, making them a source of grace.
  The significance of tangible sacraments in receiving spiritual grace.
  Why the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season.
  A powerful reminder of your own spiritual rebirth through baptism.

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Video Timeline:
0:00 - Introduction & A Snowy Albuquerque Setting
0:50 - The Surprising Feast: Why Was Jesus Baptized?
1:05 - What is Baptism For? (Forgiveness & Relationship with God)
1:31 - The Mystery: Jesus Has No Sin, Yet is Baptized
1:57 - Two Key Reasons for Jesus's Baptism
2:21 - How Jesus's Baptism Sanctifies the World
2:52 - The Beauty of Sacramental Life: Tangible Grace
3:26 - Why the Christmas Season Ends with the Baptism of the Lord
3:41 - Our Rebirth in Grace Through Baptism
3:59 - A Call to Give Thanks for Your Baptism
4:12 - Closing Remarks & Merry Christmas!

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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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  •

    29 Aug • Stand against the flow

    On this Feast of the Beheading of St. John Baptist we remember that our faith is often counter-cultural. Do we have the courage, as did John the Baptist, to speak that word of faith that might convert others?
  •

    28 Aug • Attending to the mundane

    On this Feast of St. Augustine, who gave the Dominicans its Primitive Rule of Life, we are challenged to examine what day to day mundane chores of life help us to go forth into the world in love and service?
  •

    23 Aug • St. Rose of Lima

    On this Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, her example of service and mindfulness of the needs of others reminds us that, according to Jesus, the love of neighbor is the second highest commandment and intimately tied to the first.
  •

    20 Aug • What do you need to shed?

    Jesus said that it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get to heaven. Besides external wealth, are there obsessive personality traits that we need to shed in order to follow Christ more closely?
  •

    17 Aug • Beyond sour grapes

    In ancient Israel there was a saying, "Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are on edge." Children often reap the consequences of their parents actions, but God wants to banish this saying because with repentance and grace, God can always open up new possibilities.
  •

    14 Aug • Finding common ground

    Jesus recommends a process of correcting our brothers and sisters in which we first go to them alone, then, if they do not agree, bringing in one or two more , and only later bringing in the whole church is he or she does not listen. We could use this kind of prudence in our own day in dealing with our polarized politics. We should start our conversation with those with whom we disagree by finding common ground where we can agree, and then moving forward from there.
  •

    13 Aug • Devouring scripture

    The prophet Ezekiel relates a curious vision in which God bids him to physically eat the word of God. We, like him, are invited to metaphorically eat the word of God in scripture, taking it into ourselves so that we might get the most out of it.
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    12 Aug • Humility in small things

    Though Jesus was God, he was humble enough to accept not being recognised for who he was. If we have this sort of humility, even though we might be slighted in a thousand ways, we can find peace in our own day. Let Jesus be our guide.
  •

    11 Aug • The bread come down from heaven

    Jesus said, "I am the bread come down from heaven," and he still comes to us today through the Eucharist, in which the bread and wine are transubstantiated into his body and blood. As St. Augustine said, when we worthily partake of this sacrament, the Eucharist does not become part of us, we become part of Christ.
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    10 Aug • A grain of wheat

    On this Feast of St. Lawrence, Fr. Jordan relates that the Gospel passage chosen for Lawrence is the same one he used for his solemn vows when he gave his life to the Order of Preachers. Is there a scripture passage that describes your life's work?

    Based on John 12:24:

    Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
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    9 Aug • Take up your cross, for eternity

    Jesus tells us, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." In this, Jesus sets us free from all of the goods of this life, so that we might get something better—eternity with him in the life to come.
  •

    8 Aug • Bringing the Good News

    On this Feast of our Holy Father Dominic, we remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah (52:7):

    How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
    who brings good news,
    who announces salvation,
    who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’,

    While these certainly apply to St. Dominic, given the needs of our present day, all of us should hear God asking us to answer this call, to proclaim to a weary world that our God reigns.
  •

    7 Aug • What the world needs now is hope

    The Prophet Jeremiah offers the people hope that, despite everything, God still loves them with an everlasting love. Do you need to take that message more to heart? Do you need to take that message to someone you know who has lost hope?
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