We come to Champion in this Jubilee Year of Hope specifically as “Pilgrims of Hope”, focusing on how we can grow in this important virtue and express it in our daily lives.

Let’s begin by answering the simple question: “What is hope?”

There are several good definitions and explanations that you can find doing some simple research on the internet, but let’s just stick with the definition found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There we read in paragraph #1817: “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

Ok. Now - how does one live out this virtue in daily life?

In a general sense, hope is the remedy for (and opposite of) discouragement, indifference, complacency and (worst of all) despair.

The world is a “difficult” place (a “mess”, if you prefer), and life gets very hard sometimes. But the person who lives with hope never gives in to all the bad news, the evil, the sin and sadness that is part of the human condition. Hope inspires us to always work for a better future, no matter how bad things seem to be in the here and now. We live out the virtue of hope by staying strong in our desire for all that is good, true, beautiful and holy. And we continue to trust in God’s promises and His power to help us realize them in our daily lives. This is the work of grace, as our definition reminded us. Where there is the grace of the Holy Spirit, there is hope.

Here is a little memory device to help us live by hope in our daily lives. Giving credit where credit is due, the basic structure comes from an article by Andrew Hansen, the editor of the Springfield, IL diocesan newspaper, that he wrote for the season of Advent. I am expanding on his basic theme and structure.

The structure uses the 4 letters of the word hope to provide us with other characteristics and qualities of hope that we should live out in our daily lives.

I’ll conclude by adding four more qualities that hope ultimately leads to as its goal.

So – let’s take one letter at a time.

H is for Humility and Happiness.

Humility keeps us grounded in reality and truth, which helps us live authentically in the trust that is an essential quality of hope. Humility requires surrender, letting go and emptying oneself – and all of this expresses real hope.

Happiness in our daily life is not simply a naïve overlooking of the reality of suffering and sorrow in life, but an expression of authentic and mature hope that acknowledges the pain and tragedies of life without being completely overwhelmed or jaded by them. If you are living a life of hope, then you will experience the kind of happiness that truly comes from God – despite the wickedness in the world.

O is for Openness and Optimism.

Openness to all that is good in the world, and to all the many graces and blessings God bestows upon us. Discouragement and despair close us off to the good that surrounds us, and is in us by God’s love. Hope keeps us always ready to receive more of the good things God wishes to give us, directly or through others.

Optimism in our daily life is the remedy and protection against the pessimism and cynicism that is so prevalent today. Don’t let all the bad news get to you! Maybe you need to turn off the bad news!! The Gospel is called the Good News for a reason. The message of salvation through the forgiveness of sins is the Best News ever!

P is for Positivity and Patience.

Positivity continues the theme of optimism. There is so much negativity in the world today! Everywhere – complaining, criticizing, condemning – enough already! The positivity that comes from hope is not a silly ideal or childish fantasy. It is well-informed, realistic, mature and deeply spiritual. Even in the midst of great persecutions and problems, the Church and her saints have always remained positive – for God’s sake!

Patience helps us live out the virtue of hope by keeping us calm and steadfast in our life of faith and charity towards others, even when we don’t see the immediate results we may be expecting. Everybody wants (and needs) to grow in patience, and when we do, we are living out the virtue of hope by trusting in the better future to come. Hope helps us wait…patiently!

E for Encouragement and the Eucharist.

Encouragement is at the heart of what the virtue of hope provides for us in our daily life. To be a person who sincerely encourages others along the path of life is certainly to be a person of hope. I think we all know at least a few of these people in our lives. The challenge is for you and I to be the one who is always encouraging others – to fill them with hope.

The Eucharist – It is Jesus! It is His Real Presence! We are a Eucharistic people, and that means a people of profound hope, because the Lord is truly with us! The fact that the Son of God still dwells here on earth among us in His Eucharistic Presence is a tremendous support to our hope for this troubled world – hope for the Church, the Order, my family, myself! To live out hope in your daily life, be in the love with the Eucharist – the Mass, Holy Communion, Adoration – it is the Lord!!!

And finally, the four bonus words signifying what the virtue of hope ultimately is leading us to:

Holiness in our everyday life. You can be a saint!

Obedience to God’s Will in all things. Like all the saints who have gone before us!

Perseverance to endure all life’s difficulties in faith. The saints never gave up!

Eternal life in the glory and joy of heaven. Where the saints are now waiting for us!