Hope
“You don’t hear enough about hope, and we need hope.” “When are you doing a retreat on hope?” My mentor and dear friend Sr. Paula Hagen of the Sisters of St. Benedict has been saying this to me for years. Finally, I am hearing the call and ready to dig into the meaning of hope with you. She is right. We don’t hear enough about hope. And we certainly need it.
A Belief
During the pandemic, Sr. Paula spent a lot of time researching and reflecting on hope. She came up with the following definition.
Hope is the belief in your eternal value.
The belief in a God who is present with unconditional love for you.
Let’s reflect on this definition as a way to see what hope is for you and—ultimately—who God is for you. I invite you to begin by sitting with the first phrase: “Hope is the belief in your eternal value.” Hope is more than a wish because it comes with the expectation that your desire will come true. What value do you hold that gives you the trust and faith that something good and true will happen for you? What is your eternal value that stands beyond space and time and all that is temporary on earth? What do you know to be real, sustainable, and whole no matter what happens in your life?
An Invitation
How does the second phrase resonate with you? “The belief in a God who is present with unconditional love for you.” In what ways do you experience God’s presence as omnipresent? Do you know God’s love to be unconditional? These questions invite a dialogue in your heart on your image and experience of God. The extent to which you have hope can have a lot to do with how much you believe God is present in your everyday life.
Is God a watchful eye from above?
Is God a distant figure detached from the earthly struggles and ordinary choices you face?
Or do you experience God as an intimate wave of grace in a helpful phone call, a comforting conversation, a situation that “coincidentally” falls into place?
“A belief in a God who is present with unconditional love for you.” Unconditional. Sit with that for a moment. Hope lies in a God who is not expecting you to perform, to please, or to be perfect in order to earn God’s love. Hope lies in a forgiving God.
Hope as Grace
This definition is rooted in your relationship with God. It does not include circumstances. Nor does it say anything about things turning out as planned. Hope is not optimism, nor is it wishful thinking. It is a deep knowing—mind, body, and soul—that no matter what happens, God will be there for you.
We are describing hope as it pertains to our faith in a God of everlasting love. This is challenging. You may not feel hope as a warm and happy feeling, yet it is a sustaining one. Hope is the gift of grace that gets you out of bed the next morning when fighting a chronic illness; gives you the courage to take another breath amidst your grief or disappointment; and opens your eyes to see the beauty of creation when your heart is heavy with the violence throughout the world.
Hope as a Choice
Sr. Paula talks about hope as first a choice, one that opens your mind and heart to receive the grace or virtue of hope. It is a choice to work on personal growth: accepting limitations (I have strengths and weaknesses); acknowledging reality (I am not in charge); and recognizing attachments to roles, identities, and relationships. It is a choice to put time and energy into activities that are going to help you take a step—however small that step may be—that will lead to a belief that God is present and has unconditional love for you.
I have been looking for examples of hope in conversations with friends and family lately. What I have seen is that the ones who are the most hopeful are the ones who make an intention to birth hope, through prayer and action, instead of waiting for it to appear. Here are some noticings that have inspired me.
An 82-year-old frustrated with politicians in his country outside of the United States. “I am educating younger generations on the pressing issues and history of my country.”
A friend feeling powerless as she watches another friend struggling in her marriage in the last years of her life. “I pray she will eventually be in peace with God in Heaven.”
A man struggling with loneliness and depression during the pandemic. “I made a choice to learn something new every day.”
A woman feeling frustrated with the amount of violence and suffering in young people these days. “I put my energy into helping people.”
My prayer time with this subject has been a fruitful one, as it has led to some direct questions. Am I really a hopeful person or simply an optimistic one? Do I rush to find the bright side of a situation because I don’t want to feel the darkness of it? I look forward to our dialogue this month, to see what I am called to learn about myself and to hear what simmers within you, especially in our Sacred Circles.
Blessings on your journey towards hope. May you find your own definition that draws you closer in relationship with a merciful God you can trust in any situation.
Listen to this reflection on our YouTube channel
Share in a Sacred Circle
Would you like to discuss your thoughts on this month’s reflection? The second full week of the month, we offer three drop-in Sacred Circles on Zoom and one in person. It’s a chance to share the monthly reflection in a safe and welcoming environment. We have a new evening session! An invitation with the Zoom link goes out on the Monday morning of the week’s sessions. Check out our times here.
Share on Social Media
We’ll be talking about hope this month on our Facebook Private Page: “Retreat, Reflect, Renew Private Space.”
Share Right Here*
What is your definition of hope? How do you find hope when you are feeling frustrated or hopeless?
*When posting comments, there is a space that asks for a website and email, you do not need to fill that part out when posting.