Seven Reasons to Hope from Pope Francis

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Terry and John

“It’s enough to discourage a Saint,” Therese’s grandmother would say when things weren’t going well. You and I might be tempted to say something similar in the face of widespread protests over racial injustices and police brutality; as well as regional increases in COVID-19 cases, and predictions of a second wave of this plague in the fall. It is hard to maintain hope about the future. But Pope Francis still encourages us to have hope. How? What does he know that we do not? In the book, On Hope, a collection of his teachings from general audiences, we discover at least seven reasons to persevere in hope.

First, we cannot manufacture real hope by our own power. Our possessions, scientific advances, and achievements may make us happy for a time, but these will not give us lasting hope. “Let us keep this in mind: our assurance will not save us; the only certainty that will save us is that of hope in God” (Pope Francis).

 Second, the foundation of Christian hope is God’s love for each of us. God loves us first! (1 John 4:19) On our own, we are incomplete and sinners. But when we turn and give ourselves to Jesus Christ, the Lord opens an overflowing fountain of freedom and salvation. Each day, Jesus walks with us. No matter what we face. We can still cling to an expectation that the power and love of the Holy Spirit will come.

Third, hope is a journey with Jesus Christ to the Father. Every small or large “yes” that we give to Jesus is a seed of hope. He will lead us through the darkness to the light. Hope is not afraid of our current reality however challenging or difficult.

Fourth, prayer leads us forward in hope. We entrust ourselves daily to Jesus without demanding anything. This kind of hope entails a humble heart, not one that is full of ourselves, our achievements, or even our failures.

Fifth, hope thrives in a vital Christian community. We can draw hope from brothers and sisters in Jesus. Each one teaches the other how to hope. Each one helps fan the flames of hope when times are tough. The Holy Spirit wants to form and re-form our communities in a Perennial Pentecost, an ongoing experience of his power and presence (See Acts of the Apostles 2,4, 8,9,10,11).

Sixth, hope doesn’t lead to discrediting or marginalizing others. We are meant to discover new brothers and sisters in times of waiting, longing, expecting, and working for healing, peace, and justice. “Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd. We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life… Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost.” (Pope Francis, June 3, 2020)

Seventh, to live in Christian hope, we each need to be born anew in the Holy Spirit. We need to draw from the living water of the Spirit through the sacraments (flowing forth from Baptism), prayer, and adoration. 

To summarize. Our ability to love and to serve flows from God, who loves us first in Jesus Christ. We are incapable of loving others, according to their needs, without the gift of infinite mercy. This gift is given through God’s Holy Spirit so that we can share that mercy with others. “Jesus is our hope. Nothing—not even evil or death—is able to separate us from the saving power of his love.” (Pope Francis)

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10 Post- Pandemic ‘Resolutions’ Christians Might Make

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Terry and John

People have been making “New Year’s Resolutions” for 4,000 years. The Babylonians are an example; promises about things like –paying back debts or returning borrowed objects. Early Christians also declared the first day of the New Year as a holy time to reflect on past mistakes and to choose to live a better life for Jesus Christ. Even in today’s secular world as many as 46% of us make “New Year’s Resolutions” about improving ourselves in the coming year.

We hope that “Lockdowns” and “stay-at-home” orders have given you time to reassess what you are doing with your life. There is nothing like a pandemic to make space in our often-frantic lives. The “reopening” of our economy is another, similar opportunity to make resolutions about daily life, socializing, and even parish worship. Then, with God’s help, it will be possible to carry some of the positive daily life changes forward. Here are ten suggestions for post-pandemic behaviors and a “new normal” as Christians:

  1. Thank God for the simple blessings in our lives (family members, the internet, toilet paper).
  2. Be more willing to accept help from others and advice from accurate sources. Study and pray to the Holy Spirit for discernment when this becomes difficult.
  3. Restructure your days to include personal and family prayer time.
  4. Reach out to support family, friends, and neighbors in a consistent way.
  5. Use the internet and cell phones to foster relationships (Facebook, Zoom, instant messaging, Facetime and other social media). Learn how if necessary.
  6. Be more intentional about scheduling shared meals [when allowed] with family and friends in places where air can circulate freely.
  7. Eat right, exercise daily, and get better sleep.
  8. Reassess what you do with your spare time and money. What are your “real needs”, not your anxiety-based desires. Give to your parish.
  9. Treat adversity as an opportunity for intellectual, emotional and spiritual healing.
  10.  Exercise compassion for and communion with those who suffer: the poor, homeless, sick, aged, and those who have no faith tradition to call their own.

Finally, this pandemic and a “new normal” can help us repent of thinking that we are in control of our lives. We are not! We need to surrender to God’s gift of humility. What we CAN control is our response to God’s ever-faithful, but sometimes illusive, presence. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.” (Ps. 23:4) And as Pope Francis points out, “There is never a reason to lose hope. Jesus says: ‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Mt. 28:20)

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The Anguish of Loneliness

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Terry and John

Unrelenting news of corona virus deaths. Contaminated nursing homes. The spiritual poverty of long-distance livestreamed liturgies. Directives like “Stay home!” and “Wear a mask at the grocery stories, parks and pharmacies.” and “Stay six feet apart from others.” These are bitter pills for whole cities, states and countries at a time. In the face of all this, how can we isolate ourselves for months at a time without being gripped and paralyzed by loneliness? 

Public service announcements from television actors echo a tiny piece of God’s wisdom, “You are not alone.” In Isaiah 49: 15-16, we hear more from our creator; should a mother lose her tenderness for her child, “I can never forget you. I have written your names on the palms of my hands.” Let us search the Bible for more life-giving truths.

Jesus knows Loneliness. Jesus suffered loneliness many times. He was constantly misunderstood by his disciples. He was abandoned in the Garden of Gethsemane. He cried out from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus joins us in this part of the human condition. Acknowledge the emotions that often get tangled up with loneliness, like: desolation, fear, sadness, self-pity. Think of the flood of emotions that the widow of Naam, who lost her only son, experienced. Jesus took pity on her and raised him back to life. He can raise us too.

  • Response: Concentrate on one emotion, loneliness first, and give yourself to Jesus, especially through religious music. Spend more time with Jesus than you do with news about this deadly virus.

Move from loneliness to solitude. Jesus often embraced being alone, whether it was on a mountain or in a small piece of wilderness at the edge of a village. He chose to cultivate the gift of solitude by embracing the presence of his Father. Choose solitude. Choose God, the Father. Choose “godly grief” (of friendship) that leads to new life, versus “worldly grief” that leads to death (2 Corinthians 7:10).

  • Response: Admit loneliness to a friend, a family member, a person on a help line.

Jesus is the Good Samaritan for you. We are living this Gospel scene today. We must avoid others, even family, to the point of shunning the balm of human touch. But still we have Jesus, the Good Samaritan, who wants to lift us up, bathe our emotional wounds. He has spared no expense in caring for us. Jesus is our healer.

  • Response: AFTER you picture Jesus caring for you, reach out to others by phone, by sitting at someone’s window, through video conferencing programs like Facetime of Zoom, or by making donations.

St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Of all the diseases I have known, loneliness is the worst.” So, find simple, yet creative, ways to respond to the loneliness and the need for human contact. We did. We put our pride aside, admitted our feelings and asked to meet all of our children and grandchildren online for Easter. It was just the medicine that we needed.

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