Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 25, 2011 - Tuesday in the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rom 8:18-25 and Luke 13:18-21]For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.
This past September I preached a parish mission at a parish in the suburbs of Memphis. It brought back some memories because many years ago (in the 80's when I was stationed in Memphis) I gave a Day of Retreat for some ladies of that parish. When pondering what approach I should take, the Spirit suggested that I do the three traditional theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Love. So, that's what I did. What I discovered with this group of middle age to elderly ladies was that faith and love were not an issue. What they needed most was HOPE! What would help them to get up each day and face the challenges and uncertainties of their personal situations? How could they "wait with endurance?"
The challenges facing them were fairly familiar: marriage, children, grandchildren, health, finances, etc. How could they see their way through all of this with some kind of serenity? Only with HOPE could they get up each day and feel that whatever would happen, God would be with them. That is what I tried to convey to them. As St. Paul points out, hope involves the unseen possibilities of life. To borrow an image from Evelyn Underhill, a great English spiritual writer, hope is like going down a dark tunnel when you don't know where the light switches are. You go ahead with the confidence that God will show you the way. The challenge is not whether one believes in God or whether one is loved and loves others. The challenge is whether or not it's all worthwhile! The words that answer it for me are words that God speaks often in the scriptures: "Do not be afraid! I will be with you!" I think it is worthwhile to repeat those words on a regular basis! They spell HOPE. AMEN