November 11, 2026
Fr. John Riccardo
“We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13
This excerpt from last Sunday continues to stick in my mind.
Imagine waking up every day … without hope.
Imagine waking up every day and living as though there was no point to life.
Imagine waking up every day and not knowing that all of creation came into existence because there is a God who is love and who freely and generously brought it all into being.
Imagine waking up every day and thinking nothing ultimately matters.
Imagine waking up every day and living as though there is no destiny towards which all of creation is headed.
Imagine waking up every day and feeling trapped by your failures, defined by your deepest regrets and your most humiliating moments.
Imagine waking up every day and not knowing that Death has been conquered and will not have the last word in your life or in the lives of those you love.
Imagine putting all of your trust in politicians, only to see them defeated in elections, or fail — as they all ultimately do — to deliver on their promises.
Imagine putting all your trust in — perish the thought! — a college football team, only to see them lose “the big game” and content yourself with, “Wait til next year!”
Imagine what it’s like to think that nothing ultimately matters, that you don’t ultimately matter, that history — including your history — is in the hands of … nothing and no one.
This, and so much more, is what it’s like to live without hope. This is how most of the culture lives, I think. How most of the world lives, I think. At least practically speaking.
Why? As St. Paul says in his letter to the Church in Ephesus, they are “without God” (Eph 2:12). To not know God is to be hopeless. Utterly hopeless. It’s to live each day ultimately in despair. Life apart from God is a nightmare.
Paul traveled some 10,000-15,000 miles, in conditions we can scarcely imagine, to proclaim the extraordinary news that creation is not thrown into existence. Nor is it pointless, destined to simply all disappear one day into nothingness. No, God is real, He has lovingly created all that is, and He acts in history. He has especially acted in the person of His Son, Jesus, who has come to make known the one who is our good Father and who called us into being. This Son has come to rescue us from our ancient foes, the devil and his “children,” Sin and Death. He has defeated them by the wondrous giving of Himself on the cross, wherein He has definitively revealed that God is gracious, kind, merciful, and loving.
No, God is not loving. God is love.
This Son has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts, to make us dwelling places of the living God. He has come to enlighten our minds, helping us to see reality as it truly is — in the hands of this good Father, thereby rescuing us from despair.
Out of love Paul traversed the known world, establishing communities, proclaiming the wondrous deeds of God, calling people into friendship with Him and friendship with each other. These communities became beacons of light, beacons of hope. They were visible signs of what only God can do. They became the means by which men and women were rescued, renewed and transformed into the family of God. This is why the Church exists, this is her mission: to rescue, renew and transform the entire human family into the family of God.
So, what motivated Paul?
Love.
“The love of Christ compels us,” he wrote (cf. 2 Cor 5:14).
This is why we preach, too, whether we’re ordained or not. Or at least it should be. For no reason but love: first for the Lord who deserves our trust and gratitude like no other, and for those around us. Let us thank the Lord for the amazing gift of faith, and the hope that faith gives us. Not wishful thinking. Hope. Certainty. Confidence. In God. And let us not keep this to ourselves.
We would encourage you to prayerfully reflect with others on what the Lord shared with us during our time at The Jesus Conference and to discern what’s next.
Head to our streaming channel to check it out!
Now available, The Resistance: God’s Plan for Renewing the Human Family is a bold and timely call to join what Fr. Riccardo describes as “a great campaign of resistance.” It sends us into every sphere of human activity to help restore God’s design by confronting the prevailing cultural trends of anger, division, utility, and materialism; fostering healing where there is brokenness; bringing light where there is darkness; and renewing purpose where all seems lost.
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ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
November 2026
For the clergy, that they may encounter anew the Father who runs to them, be renewed in their vocation and that they would courageously equip those in the pews to be mobilized for mission.
For those attending our Leadership Immersive, that the Holy Spirit would open their hearts to hear God’s voice, deepen their identity as beloved sons and daughters, and help them restore the initiative to God in all their pastoral planning.
In thanksgiving for the many graces poured out during the Jesus Conference, that the seeds planted would continue to bear abundant fruit, awakening hearts to the urgency of the mission and mobilizing disciples to rescue, renew and transform the human family into the family of God.
For a blessed Thanksgiving, that our hearts would be filled with gratitude for the Father's inconceivable goodness, that our homes would be places of welcome, joy, and peace, and that we would remain mindful of those who are lonely, grieving or in need.
For all those who partner with us in advancing the mission of ACTS XXIX, both prayerfully and financially, that the Lord would bless them abundantly and allow them to see the fruit of their generosity in lives renewed, hearts healed, and the Church awakened to her mission.