THE VIRTUE OF HOPE

 Hello Everyone:

We have heard so much sad news and are so saddened with the loss of our public Masses and so much loss of life and freedoms that a talk on the virtue of Hope is so needed today. We can not lose hope and we must be faithful Catholics and seek divine grace to accomplish our salvation. We are made above all to live with God, to live as children of God and what counts is the love we have for God. How are we spending our few years which God has given to us with regard to the goals of Heaven? How have we passed on to our children this hope of Heaven, these eternal realities? That is what God is going to ask us on the day we stand before Him. No matter what we endure in this life and no matter how many difficulties, it is the hope of Heaven that holds us, the hope of belonging totally to God, being totally with God for eternity. This thought should continually be our hope. Therefore, this should unceasingly give joy to our souls with an ardent desire of the promised rewards of eternal life, so that whatever we have to endure, we may have a more willing and cheerful obedience to all that God wills or allows in our lives

The virtue of hope is extinguishing today because modern man has a tendency to place all of his hope in this world. Right now the focus is on social progress, social justice, material progress, the distribution of the goods of this world, but that is not what we were made for. The world is dying in the here and now. Humanity no longer knows where it is going, what it is doing or even what it is thinking. Men thirst for the goods of this world, therefore they do not think about God anymore or about spiritual goods or about eternal life. To have the virtue of hope is to hope for the things of the eternal world.
 
Hope is the virtue of one who is on the road, of one who is thinking of the goal toward which he is heading. When someone travels somewhere, his only idea while on the trip is to reach his destination. If you ask someone where he is heading, it goes without saying that he will answer you with a true plan. It is surprising to see that people do not think about, do not reflect on, do not meditate sufficiently on the goal to which they are heading. “Here we have no permanent city, but we seek for the City that is to come.” (Heb. 13:14)
 
We know how long we have spent on this earth, but we do not know how much time we have yet to be here. So we have to think of Heaven and all those who dwell there. They are waiting for us. God is waiting for us, our parents are waiting for us, the elect of Heaven are waiting for us. Hope makes us desire to be united with our Lord Jesus Christ for ALL eternity.  If we lived more fully in hope, we would never fear death. Many do fear death and are terrified at the thought of it, but if we were aware that it is a deliverance from this exile and that our souls are going toward that for which we were created, toward our eternal happiness --- we would walk in joy. If we have hope, death does not frighten us. On the contrary, we desire it as St. Paul did; he said, ”I am desiring to depart and be with Christ.”(Phil. 1:23)
 
It would be wise if we make firm resolutions to avoid all sin, in order to keep supernatural life, the life of grace, the life of our Lord Jesus Christ in our souls, and to reach Heaven – our true Home.
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Our Lady of Hope, pray for us!
PS - Posted are the prayers for a Novena to Our Lady under "Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary" under Formation. God bless!!

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