Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

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Jesus told a parable of not wanting to pull the weeds growing up with the wheat, lest it hurt the good crop. But when applied to us, growing up together allows both the wheat and the weeds to become better, more than they are right now.

Based on Matthew 13:24-30:

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’

(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)

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:

  • 25 July • Standing with Jesus

    The mother of James and John asked Jesus if they could sit at his right and left in the Kingdom. Jesus asked them if they could drink from the cup he drank from, and they said they could. While Jesus could not give them these positions in the Kingdom, he promised they would drink from his cup, and they both suffered for the Kingdom as he did, but in very different ways. We cannot know where witnessing to the Kingdom will lead us, but we trust God to make the most of our lives if we do.
  • 24 July • God will give you the words

    God called Jeremiah to become a prophet and promised to give him the words to speak when it was time. In life, we often find it difficult to know what to say at times. In conversations that matter, we should be open to prayer and allowing God to inspire us with the right words to say.
  • 20 July • God Fights for Us Tenderly

    Under attack from the Pharisees, Jesus appropriated the words of the prophet Isaiah as his own, "He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smouldering wick until he brings justice to victory." Jesus fights for us, but he does so fearlessly but tenderly, and would never crush or harm us. We should love others as he loves us.
  • 19 July • Enter into God's Divine Life

    Jesus defends his disciples picking grain on the sabbath not because he has no care for the law, but because he is the new place of encounter with God, and by being with him, his disciples are fulfilling the command for resting on the sabbath. How can we draw nearer to God today?
  • 18 July • Rest for your soul

    Jesus said: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." He did not say that he would take away our burden, but he will refresh us and give us the strength to carry our burdens.
  • 17 July • God will not abandon us

    From the prophet Micah today, we hear that even though we sin, God will not abandon us, but will save us, even when we fail. We should not take advantage of this message, having appropriate shame for our sins, but should take hope that what God has created, God will not abandon, despite our sin.
  • 15 July • Truth and Division

    Jesus challenged his disciples that his words might bring division in families, because the truth he brings is more important than any kind of truth we have created for ourselves. The Good News is that Jesus will never stop fighting for us. Sometimes that fight will be painful, but it will be worth it.
  • 11 July • Welcoming the stranger

    Jesus instructed his disciples go about and cure the sick without cost, because, "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." St. Benedict made this hospitality to travelers a hallmark of his monasteries as a sign of the coming Kingdom of God, and we are also called to carry on this tradition today.
  • 9 July • God is at work in our lives

    God instructed Hosea to marry an unfaithful wife as sign of both Israel's unfaithfulness and God's enduring love. When we gaze on a crucifix we can see both our sin in crucifying our saviour and God's love in enduring that for our salvation. Let us embrace that duality.
  • 7 July • Your choice

    Jesus was a popular preacher, except in his own hometown, where he was rejected and amazed at the people's lack of faith such that "he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them." Faith is a communal dynamic with an individual component such that even when the majority rejects a particular belief, a few individuals can still choose to believe and be healed.
  • 6 July • Starting again, but this time better

    When the Israelites came back from the Babylonian Exile, they rebuilt the temple and started over, but without a king and welcoming people from every nation to join them. Jesus was also rebooting Judaism, saying that we should put new wine in new wineskins. Where do we need a religious reboot?
  • 5 July • How to reach this particular person?

    Jesus called Matthew the tax collector to follow him, and he came immediately. With others, Jesus knew he had to be more subtle. As we reach out to share the Good News with others, we need to always think about what approach we should use to best reach them—the direct approach, or long years of open handed friendship.
  • 4 July • God's law brings freedom

    The law of God is not to be followed blindly because it is designed to bring us freedom. However, this is not always obvious to us, and thus we need to study God's Law, particularly when we disagree with some part of it and feel like setting it aside. Every part is made for our flourishing.