The times we are living in are trying. In fact it has been remarked that it is as if we are living during “World War III” geographically spread throughout the globe.
How do we maintain our spirits in such an era as this?
St Claude de la Colombiere SJ, the Spiritual Director of St Margaret Mary, had this to say about Hope. He maintained,
“Others may look for happiness from their riches or their talents; they may rely upon the innocence of their lives, the rigor of their penance, the number of their good works, or the fervor of their prayers; but for me, O Lord, my confidence shall be my confidence itself. For you have wonderfully established me in hope.”
What can that mean that St Claude’s confidence is confidence itself?
He is placed into hope by God Himself.
“This confidence has never deceived anyone. No one has hoped in the Lord and been put to shame. I am sure that I shall be eternally happy, because I hope firmly to be so, and it is from you, O Lord, that I hope it. In you, O Lord, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded for ever.”
The Lord becomes literally our Rock. We must look only to Jesus.
But we are so weak. So was St Claude. He himself said so.
“I know that I am frail and changeable; I know the power of temptation against the most firmly based virtues: I have seen the stars of heaven and the pillars of the firmament fall; but not even this can make me fear. As long as I hope, I
am safe from every evil, and I am sure of always hoping because I hope for this unchanging hope. For you, O Lord, have wonderfully established me in hope.”
Evil may surround us, creation itself may fail us, but we are safe in God and we need not fear.
We cannot have an excess of hope and this hope is eternal.
“I am fine, I am sure that I cannot hope too much in you; and that I cannot obtain less than I hope for from you. Thus I hope that you will uphold me in the greatest dangers, protect me in the most violent assaults, and make my weakness triumph over my most formidable enemies. I hope that you will love me always and that I also shall love you with unfailing love; and to carry my hope at once as far as it can go, I hope for you from yourself, my Creator, both in time and in eternity.”
– Saint Claude de le Colombiere
Come chat for spiritual support with others and a Visitation Sister Sunday Sept. 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, at 7:30PM EST.
Our discussion will be guided by these questions:
- How does your heart resonate with this approach in these tremulous times?
- How have you put too much hope in yourself and your talents instead of into God?
- What are the ways that you struggle to hope in God? What are the ways that help you hope in God?
- Do you think saints like Saint Claude struggled to live out this virtue of hope, or do you think it was as simple as writing these words about it?
Source: St Claude de la Colombiere, Magnificat
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