Now that we have stepped into the spiritual journey of Advent, we are invited to fully encounter the theme or meditation of the first week – hope. We already look toward several things in our lives with hope. There is a superficial (perhaps even fun) hope of ‘I hope my team scores’ or ‘I hope this scratch ticket is a winner.’ We experience a more genuine hope, often accompanied by prayer, when we offer ‘I hope the surgery is successful’ or ‘I hope my loved one travels safely.’ Now that we are in Advent, a deeper and unwavering hope welcomes us. A hope that is a state of being, a hope that prevents us from giving up, a hope that lives in us even if we don’t always feel it. It is the permanent hope of salvation.
Through our friendship with Christ, this hope enables us to move forward in faith. Though hope is the encouraging grace in our hearts, it is also what we do. We are called to use it, and we are called to live it. This is our faith. Sometimes having this true, deep hope takes courage. The Lord knows that, and He is there to sustain us. So even when we feel we’re falling apart, even when we don’t have the answers we desperately want, even when we think we’re alone, the strength and life of this hope in the Lord is always ours. Be strong and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord. (Psalm 31:24; 31:25 in Catholic translations)
Is there a conflict or situation you currently don’t have enough hope in? Consider offering it to the Lord this Advent and, with courage, trust in His grace. To start, simply begin each day with the heartfelt prayer, ‘Jesus, my hope is in you.’ That says it all and paves our path with the guiding light of faith. And now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. (Psalm 39:7; 39:8 in Catholic translations)
This steadfast hope of encouragement and enlightenment, of strength and trust, and of redemption and surrender is one to share and bear witness to. It is the hope of us all, and together we, the members of the Body of Christ, are united in Spirit by the hopefulness of the Lord and the grace that it brings. Let this Advent be a time when true hope renews us and forever abides in our ready hearts. For there is one body and one spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. (Eph 4:4)
Journeying to Grace 