"A Reason for Your Hope"

As we prepare to embark on the jubilee year in a little over a month, I wanted to share with you reflections that I presented this past fall to women at a day of reflection at St. Anne's in Grand Forks.  Together with Sr. Mary Ruth, much of this material was also presented for a weekend retreat here in Hankinson.

Rather than share it all at once, I will be dividing the reflections over several weeks' time.  
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Session I: Introduction
Song for reflection:  Cornerstone

In today’s world, we don’t hear a lot about hope, but it’s an extremely important virtue.  We will say, “I hope you have a safe trip.” Or “I hope we don’t get caught in the rain.”  But, do we say in earnestness, “I hope to see you in heaven.”? 
 
When the idea for this day of reflection, centering on hope, came to me this past July, I didn’t realize that the Pope’s theme for the upcoming Jubilee is hope – how appropriate!  It will begin on Christmas Eve and go until Epiphany, 2026.
 
I invite you to pray the Jubilee prayer. 
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To be more accurate, this coming year’s theme isn’t just hope – but pilgrims of hope.  We are on a journey. 

As I began the day, I let the participants know that my impaired vision would probably affect the way I presented and lessen my ability to maintain eye contact, etc.  In this context, I went on to share the story of an experience I had during my high school years.
 
The summer after my sophomore year of high school, my parents made me attend a nearly three-week program for kids with vision impairments.  From even before the camp started, I had a very negative attitude, giving it the name “Torture Camp.”  I even went so far as to ride bike aimlessly around town to avoid going, when the dreaded day arrived.  This program was intended to give us more real-world experience and skills for doing daily activities after graduating.  We took a city bus to a part-time job, for example. 
 
You might say that, during that time, I had hope -  I had a goal in mind – the end of that camp!  June 26, 1997 – when my exile would be over and I could leave that place of torment. But it really wouldn’t have been that bad – If I had had a better attitude – If I had recognized that our Lord was with me – if I would have seen it as an opportunity to learn and grow – if I had seen the humor in the troubling incidents, like getting squirt with a water gun by a “drive-by shooter” and getting knocked in the ankles by canes.  Unfortunately, though, I didn’t.  I was not exercising the virtues of my baptism terribly well.  I was not utilizing the virtue of Christian hope.
 
Even though our life on earth can be very difficult, if we approach it with the eyes of faith and hope, we can find joy in the midst of the sorrows.   We can realize that life is a pilgrimage of hope more than a torture camp.
 
In the reflection to follow, I will share what the Catechism teaches about hope as a theological virtue.  I will explain how Jesus is our hope, I will share how the sacraments are sources of hope, and also explain how Mary and the saints inspire our hope as well.  As you may notice, the Holy Spirit is very important as we speak of the virtue of hope.  His action will come up again and again as we study what the Church teaches us on this topic.  I will conclude with some thoughts on how we can share a reason for our hope with others.
 
I’d like to put theme verse, “A Reason for your Hope” from 1 Peter 3:15 in its context (14-17):
“But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,  but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.
 
I shared a beautiful story a certain mother shared with me last summer:
 
Her youngest was born 10 weeks early, and needed to be on a feeding tube for a year and a half.
They did feeding therapy with her every day with the hope that one day she would eat on her own.  They let her play with food, taste different foods and take small bites.  This mother found herself often fearing that she would never eat; she struggled with her own interior battle to accept her lovingly as she was, her beautiful baby girl with hope that she would one day enjoy eating.  Thankfully, her daughter eats everything now.  This beautiful woman closed by reflecting, “Maybe that’s how our Father in heaven looks at us, lovingly accepting us with the knowledge of the heavenly banquet that awaits us.”
 
I hope that these reflections will help you to be more aware of what we mean when we talk about hope and help you to cultivate this virtue in your own life. 
 
As I close this session, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite scripture passages that speaks to hope, from Romans 8:
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: “For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
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Stay tuned in the next week or so for the second segment of this series!

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