We live in a difficult moment in which many people are tempted to lose hope. The ongoing challenges of the pandemic, the dissatisfaction many people feel about the direction of our country, the loss of faith in political leaders, the lack of immediate solutions to many of our problems, the erosion of our institutions, the surge of violence and crime all lead to a common, bleak outlook when we survey the human situation.
I want to encourage you to not lose hope or, if you have, to regain it.
Hope is a theological virtue, combined with faith and love, which helps us to face the sin, suffering, and difficulties of this life with resolution and even joy.
Knowing truths
As Christians, we know some fundamentally important truths, which taken together, ground us in a profound conviction of spiritual confidence.
Ponder the following: God made us in His image and likeness, as eternal as He is, destined for the life of heaven and able to embrace a life of passion and purpose now.
Christ came to take away our sins and the horrible reality of eternal separation from God.
Without Jesus’ life of ministry, healing, and preaching; His horrific crucifixion; and glorious resurrection, we would be forever locked in our sins and destined for Hell.
God did all of this because He loves us and desires an intimate, saving relationship with each of us, right here and now, a spiritual friendship which will last into the fullness of eternity if we are faithful to the Lord.
These truths remind us then that there is no suffering, difficulty, tragedy, loss, failure, or death which cannot be redeemed in Christ if we simply live in union with Him and offer all of the details of our struggle to Him.
Through the sacraments, especially the Most Holy Eucharist and Confession, a disciplined embrace of daily prayer, a study of the Scriptures, especially the Gospels, and an ongoing learning of the Catholic faith, we become fully equipped for a life of virtue, service, joy, and love.
As humans, we know that the world will often break our hearts, as we suffer betrayal, loss, limitations, illness, and death.
As Christians, we know that none of these crosses have the final word on us, because Christ has risen victorious over the powers of sin and death.
A light at the end of the tunnel beckons us to go beyond the darkness of the present moment and that light is Christ.
Doing what works
Here in the Diocese of Madison, we are fully engaged in the Go Make Disciples initiative, a spirited effort to drink deeply of the Holy Spirit by practicing what we are calling the four holy habits: Reclaiming Sunday as a day of Sabbath rest, with the Eucharist at the center; 15 minutes of daily prayer; monthly Confession of our sins; and some form of penance on Fridays as an act of thanksgiving for the saving death of Christ.
If you are not currently practicing these four holy habits, I joyfully invite you to give them a try.
Do them as a spiritual experiment. Go to Mass every Sunday and holy day, pray every day, starting with a little Scripture reading if you are not sure how to begin, go to Confession once a month, and make some form of sacrifice on Fridays.
With Lent coming up, this is the perfect time to recharge our spiritual batteries.
Try these four holy habits for a year consistently, and then ask yourself in February 2023: Am I happier, more at peace, more aware of God’s love and presence in my life, freer of bad habits and sins, closer to the Lord Jesus?
These spiritual practices WORK, as they have been embraced by billions of Catholics, most especially the saints, for the last 2,000 years.
We often speak of excellent scientists, doctors, academics, musicians, and especially athletes, in light of the recent Olympics, but our primary focus is excellence in the practice of our faith.
We want to be excellent Catholics, holy and hopeful disciples who are on fire with love for the Lord, eager to fulfill His purpose and our mission in this life, salt and light to others, especially those who are despairing and suffering.
When I am busy with the work of the Lord, I find little time to be sad, despairing, or hopeless.
The love of Christ takes me out of myself and lifts me up into the presence of God, even now in this life.
As we continue this evangelizing adventure of faith, as we set out into the deep, to cast our nets and to bring others to the Lord, consider your own life — its mystery, beauty, dignity, and purpose.
You are here to fall in love with God, to know yourself as a beloved daughter or son of Him, to serve Him through a life of faith, hope, and charity, to bring as many people as you can with you to Jesus, and to live with God forever in the glory of Heaven.
When we know our identity, mission, and destiny, we can rise above the present darkness and sail on the gentle currents of hope, not a naïve optimism that simply and blindly believes that somehow everything will get better, but, rather a solid conviction of faith that Jesus has already gained the victory for us and in us.