A Word of Hope

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?

On this Memorial of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, we are confronted with the question of what is important to us and how do we attend to it?

The Apostle Paul praised the Thessalonians for their steadfastness of faith in the midst of persecution, and we hear of Christina, who today, lifts up hope in the midst of tragedy.

In response to Paul's quoting of Genesis that in marriage, the two become one flesh, we hear the story of Gilberto and Laetisia, an immigrant couple who struggled but became a beacon of hope to others in Chicago's West Side.

When Jesus was prejudged by Nathaniel, Philip challenged him to "come and see." Do we prejudge others, or are we open to seeing others for what they are and thinking for ourselves?

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.

Jesus likened heaven to a wedding banquet to which all were invited. As we celebrate the memorial of the Queenship of Mary, we are reminded that we will all be royalty in heaven.

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?

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?

A rich young man who kept the commandments asked Jesus what else he needed to do to have eternal life. This is a good question to ask God. Try it and see if perhaps you should give up something or take something on. At least you will know....

God invites us to join in the work of salvation by offering us wisdom and grace in the Eucharist, but we have to choose to partake of these gifts if we want to be coworkers in creating the Kingdom,

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.

Jesus said to let the little children come to him, because the kingdom of heaven belongs so such as them. Children can have a very profound and simple trust in God that can be our guide when we feel our faith flagging.

Marriage is a vocation that is not for all, because it demands radical union of soul and body with another, but this also makes it a powerful sign of the union that God wants for all of humanity in the end.

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate Mary's Assumption into Heaven, which we believe to be a foreshadowing of our destiny if we live as she did—totally identifying with her son to help bring salvation to the world.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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?

On this Feast of the Transfiguration, we remember that great event where Jesus' clothes were transformed dazzlingly white and God spoke through the cloud "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Listening to Jesus is the heart of Christianity, and God gives us these spiritual experiences not to rest in them, but to strengthen us as listeners who act on what we hear.