Dominican Friars
Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

10 Oct • Invite Christ In: Standing Strong Against Spiritual Evil

A Word of Hope

Reflecting on C.S. Lewis’s image of an “enemy-occupied” world and today’s Gospel about spiritual evil. Christ has defeated the powers of darkness; invite Him into your life through prayer, charity, and virtue to keep your “house” safe.

#SpiritualWarfare #ChristTheStrongerMan #Catholic #Prayer #Faith #WordOfHope #ScriptureReflection #InviteChrist

Timestamps:
00:00–00:09 — Intro: Word of Hope from Rome (Friday, 27th week in Ordinary Time)
00:09–00:35 — Enemy-Occupied World (C.S. Lewis; hostile spiritual forces explained)
00:35–01:05 — Jesus Casts Out Evil (ministry of exorcism; victory in the Resurrection)
01:05–01:40 — Pockets of Resistance Remain (God allows evil temporarily; final judgment)
01:40–02:10 — Warning Against Complacency (clean house without Christ invites worse evil)
02:10–02:40 — Christ the Stronger Man (invite Christ in; He disarms the devil)
02:40–03:10 — Practical Ways to Invite Christ (prayer, charity, virtue; building Christ’s presence)
03:10–03:18 — Closing Blessing: A Word of Hope
 

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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    28 July • Fear shrinks life, Faith nourishes it

    On this Monday in Ordinary time, we look at fear and faith. In the first reading, the Israelites let the seed of fear grow in the desert, and so turned from God towards a golden calf. In the Gospel, Jesus assures us that faith is like a mustard seed that, though small, grows into a preposterously large tree that nourishes the life of all around. Give in to faith, not fear, and watch your life grow.
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    25 July • Choosing Hope in the Midst of Suffering

    On the Feast of St. James, we hear the words of St. Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed." Jesus did not come to remove suffering or to have us ignore it. He came so that, knowing his power and presence, we would be empowered to choose hope even in the midst of suffering.
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    24 July • Are You Open to Having More Faith?

    Jesus said, "to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away." He was speaking of faith, not material wealth. Do we have a faith that is open to growing and increasing? If not, we will lose it.
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    22 July • Open to the Risen Christ

    Today we celebrate the Feast of Mary Magdalen, who was the first to encounter the Risen Christ, and the first to preach his resurrection. Mary was searching for his corpse, but found him resurrected, transformed, and glorified, and she believed. Are we ready to let the Glorified Christ define himself for us, or do we hold on to our version of the earthly Jesus?
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    21 July • Approaching God with Openness

    In today's Gospel the Pharisees demand a sign from Jesus. But he has already given them a sign which they refuse to believe. Can we approach God with an openness, letting God's revelation surprise us, or have we already decided that we know who we are and who God is?
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    20 July • Jesus, the One Thing Necessary

    In today's Gospel we have the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Mary sits at Jesus' feet to hear his teaching, and Martha complains that she has to do all of the work of hospitality. In reality, they are both doing the work of being a follower of Christ, but we all need to know the most important task of a Christian is to fall more and more in love with Jesus. So whether we are accomplishing the tasks that need to be done or taking the time to rest with Jesus, our attention should be Jesus, the one thing necessary.
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    19 July • Managing Diversity

    When the Israelites left Egypt, they also left with "people of various ancestry" who joined them in the desert. This diversity became problematic in the desert, but by God's plan, it is an essential part of the story of God's "chosen people." The parishes of St. Patrick and St. Hedwig were separated int eh 19th Century to accommodate diversity and now have to work to manage that diversity as they once again become one parish. Managing diversity is always difficult, but it is essential if we are going to all be God's children.
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    18 July • "I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice"

    In our Gospel today, Jesus argues with the Pharisees and declares definitively that God desires mercy more than following the letter of the law. In our dealing with ourselves and with others, are we more concerned about making sure that everyone is following the rules or about helping the people who are suffering?
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    17 July • Rest for the Weary

    In our Gospel today, Jesus tells us that he will give rest to the weary. Life is sometimes a struggle. Jesus is not minimizing that, but assuring us that he can help us in the worst of times by accompanying us. We never have to suffer alone.
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    16 July • The Tangible Faith of Children

    In our Gospel today, Jesus tells us that our faith should be "childlike." Children's understanding of the world is based on personal experience and first-hand knowledge. Let us develop that kind of faith—not the God whom we have heard about, but the God whom we have met.
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    14 July • St. Kateri Tekakwitha

    As we celebrate the memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first native American saint, we remember how she left her family in order to become a Christian and to follow Christ more closely. May we share her zeal for the faith and avail ourselves of Jesus' promise that those who lose their lives for his sake will find it.
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    13 July • Responsibility to Our Global Neighbors

    Today we hear the Parable of the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus challenges his followers to be compassionate towards those in need, because those in need are our neighbors. Today, in our interconnected world, this parable has implications about how Christians should think about International Policy and immigration laws and enforcement.
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    11 July • Ask for the Courage You Need

    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.
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    10 July • I am your brother, Joseph

    In the Old Testament story of Joseph, his brothers, who had sold him into slavery, were dying of famine, and they came to Joseph for food, not recognising him. Instead of condemning them, he said to them, "I am your brother, Joseph" and gave them food. In the same way, in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin introduced himself to a Church that was hurting with the line "I am your brother, Joseph." To whom do we need to be brother and sister, extending not condemnation but God's compassion?
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    9 July • Jesus: The faithfulness of Joseph plus the power of God

    In the Old Testament story of Joseph, son of Jacob, he is faithful to God no matter what. But when famine hits the land there is only so much he can do to help people. Like Joseph, Jesus is faithful to God no matter what, but Jesus is able to multiple loaves and fish when people are hungry, or turn bread into his body for us when we are in need. Let us trust Jesus who is not only faithful, but able to give us what we need, and even more than we hope for.
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    8 July • Inheriting the Vineyard

    In today's Gospel, Jesus sees the needs of the world and is not discouraged or overwhelmed. Jesus responds by noting to his disciples that the great needs bode a great harvest if they would be willing to be sent into the vineyard. You and I are not simply called to be God's friends, but to be the rightful inheritors of God's work in saving the world. The only question is will we join in?
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    7 July • Faith that Heals

    In today's Gospel, a woman who had been suffering hemorrhages for 12 years, pushed through the crowd because she had the conviction that if she just touched the hem of Jesus' cloak she would be healed. Fr. Brendan saw that same faith last week when an old man in a wheelchair pushed through the crowd to receive communion first, convinced that God would nourish him with this sacrament. Let us all trust that God can heal us if we merely touch the hem of his cloak.
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    6 July • Sent to Share God's Welcome

    Jesus sent out 72 disciples to take nothing with them but his message of peace and welcome. Whenever they were not welcomed, they were to simply move on in hope that the next town would welcome them. As we celebrate Independence Day, let us remember that our great nation has always been a place of welcome and opportunity for those seeking a better life. Where do we need to extend that charitable welcome today? Where is God sending us?
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