Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Towards the end of Hope does not Disappoint, Pope Francis’ says that hope, together with faith and charity, is one of the theological virtues that express the heart of the Christian life. Hope gives inward direction and purpose to our life as believers. St. Paul himself encourages us to “rejoice in hope” (Rom 12:12), and with the aim of bearing credible and attractive witness to the faith and love that dwell in our hearts, we need to “abound in hope” (Rom 15:13).
The heart of our faith and the basis of our hope is expressed in these four verbs: Christ died, was buried, was raised and appeared (I Cor 15:3-5). “Let us even now be drawn to this hope,” says Pope Francis, while giving witness to those who are earnestly seeking hope.
Hope in the Lord! Hold firm and take heart. (Ps 27:14)
The Jubilee prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within
both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen.
