A Word of Hope for Thursday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time (October 22, 2026). In today's Gospel, Luke 12:49-53, Jesus says, "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" For Dominicans, those words make our ears perk up. They recall the story of St. Dominic's birth, when his mother dreamed of a dog setting the world on fire. In the Middle Ages the dog became a sign of the Dominicans themselves: Domini canes, "the Lord's dogs," a Latin pun on the Order's name. The mission is the same: setting the world on fire with the truth of the Gospel. In this daily Catholic Gospel reflection, we see that Jesus is the Word and Truth incarnate, not only in what he speaks but in his very presence. Yet Jesus is no idealist. He is a realist. He knows the road is not easy, that in their freedom not everyone will accept him, and that division will come. St. Paul is a realist too. In today's first reading from Ephesians 3, after all his persecutions and struggles in preaching, Paul offers what is really a preacher's prayer: to be rooted and grounded in Christ, the blazing fire that purifies and shines, trusting that God can accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine. All Paul needs to do is give himself for God's glory. The reflection closes with a prayer prayed before preaching, offered to you in the Dominican spirit for your own call to bring the Word to everyone you meet: "Lord, make me transparent, so that your light might shine through me..." TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Welcome | Thursday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time 0:07 "I have come to set the earth on fire" (Luke 12:49-53) 0:19 St. Dominic's mother's dream: a dog setting the world on fire 0:37 Domini canes: the Latin pun behind "God's dogs" 0:46 Jesus, the Word and Truth incarnate 0:55 Jesus is a realist, not an idealist: division will come 1:15 St. Paul the realist: persecution and preaching the Gospel 1:31 Ephesians 3: a preacher's prayer to be rooted in Christ 2:01 God can accomplish far more than we imagine 2:17 A prayer before preaching, offered in the Dominican spirit 2:38 "Lord, make me transparent..." (the full prayer) 3:12 Come, Holy Spirit, make me your instrument 3:20 Amen A PRAYER BEFORE PREACHING Lord, make me transparent so that your light might shine through me. Let no darkness in me hinder that light. Make up for my limit, my lack, my iniquity, my sins. Hide me in your wounds, and give me your tongue, so that it is your word that is preached, not my word: a word they need to hear, a word to root them in you, to grow towards you, and bear fruit for you. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Make me your instrument. I give myself to you. Amen. TODAY'S READINGS Ephesians 3:14-21 | Luke 12:49-53 Thursday of the 29th Week of Ordinary Time A Word of Hope is a daily Catholic Gospel reflection from the Dominican friars, released every day to help you pray with the daily Mass readings. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a day. #DailyGospel #CatholicReflection #Dominican #WordOfHope #Luke12 #SetTheWorldOnFire #StDominic #PrayerBeforePreaching #Ephesians3 #GospelReflection #OrdinaryTime #DailyMass #Catholic