A Time to Hope

Sr. Christina Neumann, OSF, explains how Scripture, the saints, and the sacraments can help us grow in the virtue of hope.

Events in recent years have inspired me to think more of heaven. My dad’s sudden, yet beautiful death a few years ago was one of these. Sometimes, when I think about him, I wonder what he’s doing up there. I wonder if he might be having a conversation with St. Peter, or a saint whose feast we’re celebrating. I hope, one day to see him, and so many others, again. We’ll have a lot of catching up to do! That’s for sure!

I guess you can say that I’ve grown in the virtue of hope. Hope is a word we tend to throw around a lot. “I hope we have a nice Fall…I hope I win the lottery!” However, Christian hope is different. It’s not wishing for good things with this life as our goal. It’s “desir[ing] 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.”

We not only hope for better things in the life to come, but we hope in God’s help on the way there.

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In recent memory, the great difficulties faced during the COVID-19 crisis led me to look forward in hope to the better life to come. As the ups and downs of life continue, hope remains an important virtue for me.

Even though it may be far off (but we know neither the day nor the hour), it is good for us to hope for heaven.

For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Hope lies in trusting in God’s help to make it there. We don’t hope in ourselves, but in Him.

To use words from the Letter to the Hebrews, hope lies in fixing our eyes on Jesus.

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Hope can sustain us amidst the difficulties of life. If we know this life is not the end and live in a loving relationship with Christ, we hope for better things to come. As the Catechism says, hope keeps us from discouragement, sustains us when abandoned, and opens our hearts in expectation of heaven (CCC 1818).

One thing that may help us if we’re struggling with hope is to develop relationships with the saints. In the coming weeks, when the Church celebrates All Saints Day and points to the Last Things in her liturgical readings, this is especially appropriate.

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Might I offer a suggestion here? Try to find a saint who you can relate with. You can ask them for their help. You can find consolation in the fact that they went through similar struggles to what you’re facing, and now, through God’s grace, they are experiencing the endless joys of heaven. Their hope has come to fruition. Who, better than our friends in heaven, can encourage us in hope?

The sacraments, too, can be great sources of hope. The Eucharist is called the “foretaste of heaven.” By receiving Jesus into our bodies sacramentally, we are able to experience a glimpse of what is to come, while also being strengthened and sustained on the journey to get there. Frequent Confession, too, can increase our hope, when God gives us a chance to start again. I personally really appreciate this opportunity!

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It is good to encourage one another (and ourselves) with words of hope, reminding faint, tired hearts that God has plans for our welfare, not our woe. #catholicmom

In these challenging times, it is good to encourage one another (and ourselves) with words of hope, reminding faint, tired hearts that God has plans for our welfare, not our woe, to give us a future full of hope (cf. Jeremiah 29:11).

In closing, I would like to share with you the beautiful, inspiring words from Psalm 62:

My soul, be at rest in God alone,
from whom comes my hope.
God alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not fall.
My deliverance and honor are with God, my strong rock;
my refuge is with God.
Trust God at all times, my people!
Pour out your hearts to God our refuge! (Psalm 62:6-9)

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