By Lindsay Schlegel

WINE - Pilgrim of Hope

 

“They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, says the Lord.” ~ Jeremiah 15:20

 

Earlier this year, Pope Francis announced the theme of the Jubilee Year 2025 will be “Pilgrims of Hope.” I’ve started to think about what it means to be a pilgrim of hope and what it will look like to live with hope in a way that others can see. Today’s first reading is a good place to start.

 

Hope Is Not an Emotion

 

We can feel hopeful but hope itself is not an emotion. In paragraph 1817 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read, “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.”

 

The promises of Christ build, in part, on the promises we are given in Jeremiah; that is, even when we struggle, we know that the battle is already won. We already have the victory in Christ.

 

Gratitude for the Gift

 

That victory is not something we should take for granted. The gifts of our adoption as daughters of God and Christ’s sacrifice to redeem us on the Cross are reasons to—if I may put a spin on a colloquial phrase—live our best lives. Of course, I don’t mean eating whatever we want, shirking our duties, or expecting others to cater to us. Our best lives are those lived in love and at the service of God and others. 

 

We can return love for love. We can offer forgiveness just as we’ve been forgiven. We can allow mercy to infuse the way we think and speak. And in doing these things, resting on the promises God has made and will most certainly fulfill, we can be an example of hope.

 

Prayer:

Lord God, guide me to think, speak, and act with hope and trust in Your promises today. May the grace that you offer me inspire those I encounter to turn toward You. Amen.

Call to Action:

God is always with us “to save [us] and deliver [us].” Commit to three actions today in which you can spend the time and energy you’ve been given to express your gratitude for that gift.

 

© 2024 WINE — All Rights Reserved