Hope

This being the Jubilee year dedicated to Hope, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some meaningful definitions of Hope from various sources.

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.’ - Catechism of the Catholic church.

Hope is ‘the virtue by which we trust God to give us everything that we need to get us to heaven’ – St Thomas Aquinas.

Hope is ‘a distinguishing mark of Christians by the fact that they have a future: It is not that they know the details of what awaits them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness.’ – Spe Salvi, encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI.

“Hope represents a destination, and living in hope is about having the certainty that life has a purpose, that it moves towards a goal and that, consequentially, the choices and the steps I make today are of importance and not just insignificant or a matter of waiting for something to happen.” - Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway.

“O Lord God, I hope by your grace for the pardon of all my sins and after life here to gain eternal happiness because you have promised it who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind and merciful. In this hope I intend to live and die. Amen.” – the Act of Hope.

You can share hope by offering ‘a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed, in the knowledge that, in the Spirit of Jesus, these can become, for those who receive them, rich seeds of hope.’ – Papal Bull by Pope Francis for the Jubilee Year of Hope.