At the beginning of the year, Pope Francis opened the Jubilee Door to the pilgrims of the world to begin a Jubilee Year of Hope.
Today on this Second Sunday of Advent, St. Paul’s letter to the Romans 15:4-9 focuses our attention on Hope. The reading explains how the early patriarchs adhered to Scripture. The Scriptures encouraged them to be steadfast in their faith so that they “might have hope”. They lived their lives hoping for a promised Messiah who would bring them lasting peace.
In Matthew’s Gospel, John the Baptist is roaring in the wilderness “You brood of vipers. . . bear fruit worthy of repentance,” when he sees the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming to him. John, the last of the ancient prophets, proclaims that the one who is to come will baptize “with the Holy Spirit and with fire”.
Jesus was the fulfillment of the promises given to the patriarchs. Jesus came so that now we might live in harmony and praise the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one voice.
We are not there yet.
We still need “hope”, an energy that keeps us consciously engaged, alive and moving forward and at the same time keeps us patiently waiting, desiring, and longing. For what? Do we even know?
To live energized by hope and love could be the fire that makes us one earthly family, living in peace and harmony desiring the good of the other and sacrificing whatever it takes to sustain that “peace on Earth to all people of goodwill”. May our human family soon turn to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Teilhard de Chardin’s life discoveries considers love and hope as necessary energies moving the cosmos forward to greater consciousness and unity.
Hope is a reminder that a longing/desire has not yet been realized. Therefore, like Teihard we can agree that hope is an energy and that it keeps us consciously engaged, alive, and moving forward.
Years ago, Henri Nouwen gave a series of meditations on The Spirituality of Waiting and showed how all the people in the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel were waiting in Hope—Zacharia, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Anna, Simeon.
Jesus has fulfilled the promises given to the patriarchs. Jesus came so that now we might live in harmony and praise the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one voice.
We are not there yet. We still live in hope. During this season of Advent we are waiting, we are practicing living in hope by waiting in hope that someday soon we might live in harmony and praise the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one voice.
-Sister Elaine Cole, csj
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