KEEPING THE FAITH: ‘Hope is a gift from God’
We’re now a few weeks into 2022. New beginnings can offer us opportunities to reassess and redirect the trajectory of our journey. As we begin a new stage of our journey, we may find ourselves moving forward with confident strides or we may find that we have stumbled and faltered sooner than we would have expected. Our resolve to persevere can be further tested by what we perceive to be the reality of the world around us. It may seem at times like all is lost and that the darkness is closing in. It is in these times that we must strive all the more firmly to seek the rays of light amidst the darkness and to persevere ever more resolutely along the way.
A significant part of the Christian vocation is to be a people of hope. This does not mean that we put on perpetual rose-colored glasses, nor does it mean that we keep a stiff upper lip in the face of difficulties. It means that we face those difficulties resolutely and though we suffer through them, we also hold fast in the confidence that nothing can truly defeat us. Hope is not an empty fluffy word. Hope, like love, is a far more powerful word than we may realize. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” defines hope, in part, as “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.” The virtue of hope brings light into our darkness and gives us freedom when the circumstances in our lives would otherwise weigh us down.
Like the other two theological virtues, Faith and Love (Charity), the virtue of hope is a gift from God. It’s not easy to cultivate, but it’s vital if we are to maintain a proper outlook on the events of our lives. Without hope, we risk descending into despair.
Hope, like other gifts from God, is not meant to be secreted away in the depths of our hearts. Hope must be cultivated and shared. This was at the core of Jesus’ encouragement to his disciples when he said, “You are the salt of the earth ... You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16, New American Bible)
May the hope contained in the promises of this year and in God’s words to us lead each of us to strive to live lives where we welcome God’s light in to dispel the darkness we encounter. Then as we discover God’s light, may it move us to be light for others and through our example may we draw them to the light and hope God has prepared for them.
The Rev. Carlos Suarez is the pastor of the Catholic Parishes of Stoughton, which includes the parishes of Immaculate Conception Church, 122 Canton St., and St. James Church, 560 Page St. He may be reached at 781-886-6057 or csuarez@stoughtoncatholic.org. Mass times and other information can be found at stoughtoncatholic.org. All are welcome.