Dominican Friars
Province of St. Albert the Great, USA

A Word of Hope

30 April • From Pope Pius V to Pope Francis: Go Out & Evangelize!

A Word of Hope

On April 30th, as Dominicans remember Pope St. Pius V and the Church mourns Pope Francis, Fr. Luke Barder, OP, delivers a Word of Hope reflecting on the call to go out and evangelize. This homily connects the bold actions of the apostles in the first reading (Acts) and Jesus's own mission ("God so loved the world" from John) to Pope Francis's vision for a Church that reaches beyond itself. Discover inspiration from these witnesses as the Church reflects on Pope Francis's legacy and looks toward the coming of a new pontiff.

#CatholicHomily #PopePiusV #PopeFrancis #Dominican #FrLukeBarderOP #EasterSeason #ActsOfTheApostles #GospelOfJohn #Evangelization #ChurchHistory #Saints #WordOfHope #Sermon #CatholicTeachings #ChristianLiving

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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    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.
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    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?
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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?
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    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.
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    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.
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    2 July • Let God lead us to justice

    God promised to punish Israel for its injustice, and Psalm 5 cries out, "the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful" and promises that they will not stand before him, and then asks, "Lead me O Lord in your righteousness." If only we will turn and trust God, he will save us from whatever storm threatens us and lead us to justice.
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    1 July • Cross over to the other shore *** Bonus Video ***

    Today we have a bonus video from Fr. Greg Heille—a very challenging message from the prophet Amos, who chastises the people from building their prosperity on the backs of the poor. However, Amos also acknowledges that God stole the land from the Amorites to give to them, and thus, blessings seem to almost always come at the expense of others. Perhaps, to make sense of this, we need to cross over to a new understanding, crossing over to the other shore where God lives.

  • 29 Jun • Who is God to you?

    Jesus asked Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” This question is important for every one of us to answer: Who is Jesus for us? Who is God for us? And, we are also called to pass our answers on to others.
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    28 Jun • Jesus has made us worthy of God's love

    A leper came up to Jesus saying, "“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus replied, “I do will it. Be made clean” and the man was healed. Jesus also wills us to be worthy of God's love, and so we are. Share this Good News today with someone who needs to hear it.
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