In these days when the Covid 19 is increasing, in this time when violence, fighting, massacres, famine
are unleashed in the world with the sometimes catastrophic consequences that emerge,
a lot of people live in fear, worry and wonder how is this going to end?
They no longer have hope.
And us? in what state are we? What is our current state of mind? Where is our hope?
It should never be confused with human hopes; the health of our loved ones, the future of young people,
peace between peoples, protection of the environment, sharing of wealth,. . .these are at the heart
of our everyday life and give it taste and flavor. They carry with them many of our
concerns. But hope cannot be reduced to these human hopes.
At the heart of hope, there is the certainty that everything we experience on this earth is only passage.
If we borrow the image of the boat from the shore, we see that it crosses the waters of our world
to reach another shore, that of the Kingdom, the land of God. “No matter the passing of time-
to a soul that longs for eternity, (writes St Francis de Sales) God awaits us on the shore. That is why
he invites us among the storm of the sea where we are, to look perpetually at the port. ”
This is our hope.
We might think that it is enough to keep our eyes open to the sky, without worrying about
waves, heavy weather and storms. Certainly not! When we know how to put what is first
essential, when we are inhabited by hope, by God who loves us with tender love and
merciful, then we are ready to live.
Our only guide is Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. Listen to Francis de Sales: “Man is not in this world
as a tree planted by the hand of the Creator, cultivated by his wisdom, watered with the blood of Jesus
Christ, only that he may bear fruit. >> We have to desire it, want it, let ourselves be open and commit our forces
in a lively way.” Francis says elsewhere: ” Always have Jesus Christ as your patron, his cross as a tree, your
anchor a deep trust in Him. “
Jesus is risen, we have to live as risen. What does it mean to live in the Risen? It is to
conform every moment of our daily life to the life of Christ in prayer, charity, and
love of neighbor. Saint Pope John Paul He says: “ Any form of community prayer
presupposes individual prayer. Between the person and God is born this colloquium in truth which is expressed
in praise, in thanksgiving, in supplication addressed to the Father, by Jesus, in
the Holy Spirit. Personal prayer which is the breath of the Christian will never be left behind. “
This is our mission in the hidden life. We will then bear fruit that remains and gives meaning to
our existence. If we set out every day to follow Christ towards God and towards our
brothers, we will live the hope of our faith.
We have to help each other to communicate hope to us by choosing at each moment our
vocation.
St Paul reminds us: “May Christ dwell in our hearts by faith; stay rooted in love,
established in love. It is the condition to know the love of Christ >> which is a fire that he came to
light up.
It is good to question our life: “Where am I ?”
• Fidelity to prayer
• Pope Francis has written a book entitled: “Humility, Door of Mercy.” He quotes the word
of a monk Dom Pierre Miquel. This one says: ” There are three ways to be happy in
monastic life: not to criticize, not to justify oneself, not to dramatize.”
I invite you to explore the first means: do not criticize.
What hope do you have for each other?
Source: Mere Marie Therese, Annecy