Dec

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What is This Thing Called Hope?

December 3, 2007 |

Advent is a season of hope - a season to believe in a better life, a better world.  A season to rise above our limited powers of perception and see something extraordinary - the potential of the human condition when directed by the divine will.

We see this hope in the season’s food drives, toy drives, the ring of the Salvation Army, and the various year-end appeals by so many worthy causes.  We see it in the community of Christmas parties, caroling, and neighbors coming to the aid of other neighbors.  We see it in the joy of a child’s laughter and wonder of all the spectacle that embodies the season.

This is the time of year when it is so easy to have so much hope.

And, then there is hope in the heroes of our life.  There is a priest in our community who has ALS and is literally living life by the moment while shepherding his flock.  There is a man I know in his late ’50s who had a brain aneurysm this weekend.  He survived but will have a long road ahead of him.  There is another man in his late twenties with Hodgkins and a woman in her fifties with cancer.  They are both again living life by the moment.  There is another man in his fifties who adopted two children as infants.  His little girl just left home to go to college.  Her older brother has cerebral palsy and will probably never leave the care of his parents.  There is an elderly lady in a nursing home - distinguished, stately - perfect eyesite and a sharp mind - trapped inside a body wrecked by a stroke.

All people in my life - all people who I look to with admiration, awe and respect.

And the questions arise - do they have hope?  And what do they hope for?

I am convinced that God gives us suffering for two reasons.  The first is to strengthen us and purify us so that we build the faith to truly hope - hope in healing - hope in a better place - hope in eternal life - hope in a heavenly reward.  Whether it’s our own suffering or our suffering because someone we know is suffering, we must have faith and hope in order to come through this suffering.  If we do not have hope - we will succumb to an overwhelming force.  Christ gives us what we need to get through anything we face - but we must first turn to him and put our lives in him.  If we do not do so, we will be crushed by the weight of our circumstances.

There is also another reason for this suffering.  It is for each of us to build our faith and our hope to show the love and charity called for when those we know are going through long-term and short-term challenges.  It is an opportunity for us to serve and show our hope for our brothers and sisters.  It’s in showing them that they matter - that they are not going through something alone - that other’s understand and care.  To give them hope by showing that we have hope for them.  

For the heroes in my life, this season can either be one of despair or one of hope.  We all have these heroes in our life.  So, what are we going to do to make it a season of hope for them?

I guess it starts with a prayer - and a call to Christ to see what he wants us to do.  What does he want us to do to make this truly a season of hope for all? 


Comments

1 Comment so far

  1. Idetrorce on December 15, 2007 8:30 am

    very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
    Idetrorce

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