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In 2025, the Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis calls everyone to be "Pilgrims of Hope." Reflecting on what it means to be “Pilgrims of Hope”, one might think about hope often.
Hope involves focusing on the positive and anticipating the best. The Holy Spirit inspires individuals to seek hope in prayer, daily mass readings, scripture studies, and in the Eucharist. We are to encourage others to do the same. That is how we are to be “Pilgrims of Hope.”
This is St. Paul's message to "strive for that Holiness without which no one will see God. See that no one is deprived of the grace of God and nothing or no one rises up to cause trouble, through which many may become defiled."
To be a “Pilgrim of Hope” understand hope. The dictionary defines hope as the "expectation, desire, and feeling of trust for certain things to happen." The Catechism describes hope “as the theological virtue by which people desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life, expecting and desiring happiness.” It emphasizes that "Hope is trusting in God’s promise" and that "Hope is the source of holiness one must have to see God, which comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit."
Hope is rooted in faith. Faith is to entrust oneself to another. Hope extends this trust into the future. The church teaches that Christian hope has been unfolding since the beginning of Jesus' preaching.
In today's gospel, Jesus questions the faith of those in his native place. We should also question their hope of those people in the synagogue. The people who take offense at Him because they see Him as ordinary, despite others speaking highly of Him. Jesus is not honored in His hometown because people cannot see past His human connections. Questioning where did He obtain His teachings and actions. This was Jesus, the carpenter and son of Mary. The familiarity of those who knew him leads to His rejection. They failed to recognize the wisdom and presence of God that had come to their everyday lives.
Familiarity breeds complacency. Today, many of Jesus' followers have become complacent. Jesus, Church, spirituality, and the divine have become the ordinary and familiar. People fail to see the wisdom and presence of God in everyday life. This complacency can sabotage hope. It affects Protestants, Evangelicals, and Catholics alike.
I recently came across a Protestant pastor's blog reflection on the struggle of celebrating the Lord's Supper. He mentions the routine and effort of celebrating the ritual of God’s greatest gift. He notes it must be difficult for churches that celebrate the Eucharist weekly. He said it is easy to become complacent and indifferent toward Holy Communion when it is a regular practice.
When we participate consciously and actively in the Eucharist we come closest to”Christ Jesus our hope. (1 Tim 1:1) There is no boundaries to hope.(Rm 15:13) "Do not deprive anyone of this hope. Do not allow anyone or anything to deprive us of this hope."
Hope from God is the fruit of our humility and perseverance in faith. Hope does not fit in a complacent heart. Hope is the virtue that protects us in our struggle for salvation. Maybe, this blogging pastor needs hope.
Hope began with Jesus' preaching. Ones hope is a relationship with Jesus. We celebrate that hope in the blessed sacrament daily. With the grace of God, persevere as Pilgrims of Hope for all to be saved and united with Christ.
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