Desiring Hope

Recently, I have been struck by the fact that we are well into this Jubilee Year of Hope. And so, I have been pondering whether or not I have grown in this virtue this year. Do I have a deeper understanding of the meaning of hope? Do I bear hope more deeply in my heart? Last month, in preparing for a talk on hope, I came across this beautiful definition from the Catechism:

“Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” CCC 1817

I would love to open up this definition line-by-line. First, hope is the virtue by which we “desire eternal life as our happiness.” This poses the question: What is it that I deeply desire? Or (if I may ask for all of us) what is it that we truly desire as our happiness? Are there moments where we think to ourselves:  “If only this would happen, then I would be happy.”?  Perhaps it is the conversion of our family, financial stability, good health or a plethora of other things… The Lord is aware of each of these. He is aware of every one of our desires, great and small. He is so aware that He knows how to fulfill each one of them in His own time and in His own way. 

So, we pray: “Lord, increase my desire for eternal life with you.

May heaven be my true happiness.”

Second, hope helps us to “place our trust in Christ’s promises.” Where is it that I place my trust? What do we rely upon? Is it our own strength, family, health, money, status? Yet, hope points us to place our confidence in He who is faithful to His promises. To place our confidence in Him who will never end, who is eternal and all powerful. And it is He who has shown us His faithfulness countless times who is worthy of boundless trust.

So, we pray: Jesus, I trust in you.

Third, hope leads us to rely on “the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” It is God Himself who comes to our aid. He desires and chooses to. He delights in helping us. Yet, how often do I (or we) rely only on myself – thinking that things depend only on what I am capable of? The “help of the Holy Spirit” is a grace, and thus it is a gift from God. It is a gift that He freely and unconditionally desires to give.

So, we pray: Lord, today help me to rely on you alone.

Sr. Emmanuel, CFR