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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#ChristmasSeason
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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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  •

    9 Dec • Pass it on

    In our Gospel today, Jesus passes his healing ministry on to his disciples. Are we willing to pass along our own ministries to the next generation, or do we think that we are more irreplaceable than Jesus?
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    8 Dec •The big impact of tiny things

    On this Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we ponder the conception of Mary, the Mother of God, an event that was so tiny it could not have been seen or apprehended when it happened, and yet haad enormous consequences for the world, and we open our eyes to try to apprehend the many ways God still works marvels in our world through tiny events.
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    7 Dec • Watching our words

    On this Memorial of St. Ambrose, whose words were as sweet as honey, we are challenged to look at our own use of words. Do they reflect the Word Incarnate? Can we speak more clearly and charitably to others, so that our words have a greater positive effect?
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    6 Dec • Hear and speak the Word

    As Jesus cured the deaf and the mute, at baptism we pray the "ephratah", blessing the ears that they might receive the Word of God and the mouth that is might proclaim it. After baptism, we never lose this intimate connection to God.
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    5 Dec • Gifts of the Holy Spirit

    Isaiah prophesies a time when the Spirit of the Lord will come upon the world and bring a peace so profound that "the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb." This Advent, we are challenged to open ourselves to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
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    4 Dec • We are small

    When the centurion says to Jesus, "I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof," he is not saying he is sinful, but that he is small and Jesus is great. When we see ourselves as small, we become open to the greatness of God's gifts for us.
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    2 Dec • God's healing remedies

    As a Church we pray that God might stir up our wills to receive in greater measure God's healing remedies. No matter how many times we fail, God is always ready to heal us so that we can rejoin the work of preaching the Good News.
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    30 Nov • Feed your faith

    On the Feast of Andrew the Apostle, we hear of Andrew's initial call, when he dropped his nets and immediately followed Jesus, and we are reminded to remember back to the time when we first heard The Call of faith and reignite those flames.
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    27 Nov • Text and context

    Jesus comments that, with two small coins, the widow donated more than all the rich people because she gave what she needed to live on. When we look at the context, Jesus clearly thinks this is a bad thing. When deciding right from wrong, do we pay attention enough to the context?
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    26 Nov • When did we see you Lord?

    Jesus tells the parable of the sheep and the goats, saying that when you did or did not do something for those in need, you did or did not do it to him. These days the needy are all around us. Will we do something? Elaine welcomed immigrant families into her home.

    Also, a reminder that our Provincial's Dinner is this coming Thursday, November 30, at the Union League Club of Chicago. To find out more, go to: https://www.opcentral.org/news/6th-annual-provincials-dinner or just email Fr. Scott at media@opcentral.org . This year we are honoring Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, just back from the Synod on Synodality.
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    25 Nov • The family of God

    The Sadducees question Jesus about a woman who had been married seven times and died childless, which allows Jesus to talk about the Resurrection and our preacher to raise the further point that people without their own children can nonetheless be parents of many in the family of God.

    Also, a reminder that our Provincial's Dinner is this coming Thursday, November 30, at the Union League Club of Chicago. To find out more, go to: https://www.opcentral.org/news/6th-annual-provincials-dinner or just email Fr. Scott at media@opcentral.org . This year we are honoring Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, just back from the Synod on Synodality.
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    24 Nov • We are temples of God's presence

    A Word of Hope by Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP.
    In today's reading, Jesus purified the temple. After the Resurrection, Christians themselves became the privileged temples of God's presence in the world. Living this out, acknowledging God's presence in ourselves and in others, will go a long way to solve the violence that plagues our world today.

    Also, a reminder that our Provincial's Dinner is this coming Thursday, November 30, at the Union League Club of Chicago. To find out more, go to: https://www.opcentral.org/news/6th-annual-provincials-dinner or just email Fr. Scott at media@opcentral.org . This year we are honoring Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, just back from the Synod on Synodality.
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    22 Nov • Hearing the music

    If you saw only what the martyrs give up, it would make no sense. Yet they hear a beautiful song of which they are but one part, and the beauty of this song makes sense of every part, even their own deaths. Can we hear that greater melody?
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    21 Nov • Are we ready for the Lord?

    Jesus told Zacchaeus the tax collector that he would dine at his house, and to make himself ready, Zacchaeus gave half of what he had to the poor and promised to pay back anyone he defrauded four times over. Are there things we need to do to make ourselves ready for the Lord to come dine with us?
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    18 Nov • A God of Mercy?

    Jesus told his disciples the parable of the unjust judge who nonetheless rendered justice for the persistent widow out of fear. Is our image of God even worse than that of the unjust judge? What king of faith do we have in God?
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