So when is the last time you heard someone talk about the virtues? Honestly, we spend so much time defending our faith, and morals that often it seems like there is no time to actually grow in our faith and the daily exercising of our values. Yes you can certainly grow in the virtues through defending our faith to others, (Mainly the virtue of patience) but do you ever feel like you would like to drop all the debates and simply spend time getting to know the virtues? We are bombarded with darkness- and so in need of especially the virtue of hope.
So what is hope? Accessing my new favorite reference – the YOUCat, here is the direct quote on hope.
“Hope is the power by which we firmly and constantly long for what we were placed on earth to do: to praise God and to serve him; and for our true happiness, which is finding our fulfillment in God; and for our final home: in God. Hope is trusting in what God has promised us in creation, in the prophets, but especially in Jesus Christ, even though we do not yet see it. God’s Holy Spirit is given to us so that we can patiently hope for the Truth.”
The culture of death causes so many hearts to be hopeless, to be deprived of the true value, meaning, purpose and sacredness of life. We find ourselves discouraged and disheartened, turning away from everything that is beautiful and true with no joy. Our culture is dominated by appearances and passing pleasure. Only hope can help us to refocus our lives and hearts and center them on Jesus, in whom lies all of our joy.
Hope is the key to the Christian struggling to overcome addictions, or a difficult past. Comunita Cenacolo (A rehab place for young Catholic men and women www.comunitacenacolo.org) understands the importance of teaching the young people, that through their hope in Jesus they can be renewed.
Father Stan Fortuna has this awesome little saying to help us to remember the virtue of hope and who is source of our hope:
“One, Timmy, One, One.” (1 Timothy 1:1) “Jesus Christ our hope”
When we are weighted down by all we face, when we are discouraged about the ongoing battles for the soul of our country, let us remember – JESUS CHRIST OUR HOPE!
1 thought on “Lets Start Being People of Hope!”
Yes. All Christians ought to know where they are coming from and where they are going. So let’s get on with it and cut out a lot of worrying.