In his Renovation of Vow retreat to the Visitandines of New York, The late Fr. John Conmy OSFS had this to say about the virtue of hope and its connection to the vow of poverty:
“The vow of poverty helps me to grow in this virtue of hope, in this sinking of my life in God. Isn’t it sad that in this world most people place their hope in material things? By the vow of poverty I remove all that in my life. Like St Francis of Assisi I stand with only God to trust in, to depend upon.
In the realm of the spirit, there we must live as one who has nothing, with only God on whom to depend. Just put into practice that word; Ask for nothing, refuse nothing.
Look well at your conscience to see the way in which you have been putting your trust in many human things, yourself perhaps. In so doing you build upon sand until all will fail someday. But if we divest ourselves of those things and place our hope in God, we will outride every storm and we will know great peace of heart.”
Source: Retreat Conference VI, Rev John Conmy OSFS,Monastery of the Visitation, Riverdale NY 1952