What does it mean TO HAVE HOPE?
The common everyday meaning of hope has to do with a DESIRE for some particular thing to happen for me or for others. For example: “I hope it snows all night so there’s no school!!” Or “I hope the Bills make the playoffs next year.” Or “I hope he calls me for dinner.” Or “I hope this medicine works.”
It’s sort of related to “wishing”. “I wish I could putt (sing, dance, pray. . .) better.” In other words it is my desire for improvement at something. Now to the degree that a certain result lies in my power to achieve, then, it would seem, if I applied myself, “I would have every hope of succeeding”.
But more often we use hope to express our best wishes for ourselves and loved ones, hopes that are by no means certain. I hope you: win the lottery, do well on your SAT’s, get the promotion, meet up with her at the party, find those car keys. And to that, hope a friend would respond, GOOD LUCK. Good luck because “chances are” it might not happen. The New York Lottery is fond of playing on this “hope” of a win. “Play the Lotto because. . . Hey, you never know”.
This is not what Christians mean by hope. Hear the words of the Universal Catechism: “Hope is the virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises – – – not on our strength.” (1817). Scripture says, “hold fast the confession of hope, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb 10:23).
In fact Christian hope has nothing to do with wishing or chance. Through the merits of Christ’s Passion “this hope (of Eternal Life) does not disappoint.” (Rms 5:5). Hope is the “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul that enters where Jesus has already gone as a forerunner on our behalf.” (Heb 6:19-20).
In other words Christian hope IS A SURE THING. It’s for sure because it is based on a promise by God- – – God who can neither deceive nor be deceived. When Jesus (the Word made flesh) says: “I am the resurrection and the life.” “Whoever puts their faith in me will never suffer eternal death”, “I am going to prepare a place for you and then I will come back and take you with me.” HE MEANS IT. IT’S A SURE THING. He’s not kid- ding around. He’s the way, the TRUTH, and the life.
So hope is based on the Word of God (the promises made through Jesus Christ). It is of course preceded by faith. FAITH gives us the power to believe in the promises. HOPE now desires those promises as real and attainable. And these two give rise to CHARITY which, given the certainty of the promises, frees us from ourselves and our selfishness. We are then able to love God above all things and our neighbor as we love ourselves.
It is this peaceful, confident (based on God, not us) hope of a blessedness which we at Holy Trinity Parish desire to extend to all who are in need. How will we do that? By being people of hope.
Come join us in our mission!
Fr. Tim
