Hope is that sense that what we desire or long for is possible. It’s a conviction that things will turn out for the best. With this in mind, hope is the great motivator that keeps us going in difficult and stressful times. I consume as little news as possible these days for I cannot tolerate the fighting and the hostility that is prevalent in our world. It gets worse to realize that this has overflowed into our church in some respects.
My hope is that if we keep doing what we believe to be God’s will for the world each day, this can become contagious, and others may do likewise. This is not to assume a position of self-righteousness, for humility grounds us always to knowing that whatever we do comes from God and that we rely on God’s grace, mercy, and presence at all times. Rather, it is a mindset that comes from a relation with the Creator to whom we belong, who wills for us to in some way make a difference. So, in the midst of so much negativity, we aim to do our part to make the world a bit kinder and gentler.
Hope seems to demand an idea of what we lost and what we would like to see restored. It is the desire to persevere to where we see ourselves putting God as the center of our very being and all that we do. It’s knowing that we cannot think of living, loving, and doing apart from God. Hope is that day when more and more people will have what justice demands, will be accepted and loved for who they are, will be free to worship, love, and live without fear or rejection or ostracization. It is living until we see that there is no one outside our circle of intimacy but all enjoying being embraced by God.
Hope is fidelity to the day. It is a recognition that God has given me another day, another chance, another opportunity to allow him to take hold of me where I will not let go. Tenui nec dimittam was St. Francis de Sales’ motto “I have taken hold and will not let go.” Each day’s hope is that I will let go a bit more, trust in God a whole lot more, and better image him today than I did yesterday. It’s a confidence that God will not give up (has taken hold and won’t let go) and I grow daily in embracing, living, and sharing this incredible and infinite love God has for me. Knowing this in a humble way, leads me to wish this and to work for this for others.
Gradually, the world becomes more loving as we continue to go out to those in need recognizing they belong to us as brother and sister, and we belong to them. Most importantly, we all belong to God. Hope brings us to a bond of belonging and of kinship. Hope is recognizing God in others rather than seeing what separates us from one another.
Hope is not wishful thinking. It has some evidence that propels us to want more, completion, consummation, and fulfillment. It may not be realized fully until our God calls us all home to be with him for eternal life. But that invitation finds acceptance in the here and now. Hope is seen in one’s charity to another. It is a prayer uttered for those whom we do not know personally but realize are hurting, suffering, alone, or forgotten.
It’s seeing a parent not giving up on their child. It’s a little kid donating his piggy bank to an elderly couple who risk being evicted. It’s crying when we know things should be different, better, and then resolving to do whatever we can to see this happen. It is “staying” with another, with our Church, with our sinful self waiting continuously for God’s presence, mercy, and unmerited, unconditional love.
Hope is “seeing the one beholding us and smiling” (Anthony de Mello, SJ). A little hope goes a long way. Some days it is all we need to get by. Let us hope in God, in God’s plan for us and the world, and our ability to do our part.
Hope is “taking hold and not letting go.”
Fr. John J. Fisher, OSFS
Rector
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Camden, NJ
