Hope: Our Christian Signature

Hope – Our Christian Signature To hope is to choose. This means at least two things. The most evident is that the world changes if we change. The second meaning is deeper and more subtle: to hope is to choose because one who does not choose, despairs. To hope, on the other hand, is to choose. Unlike pope Leo I confess that I am not much of a sports fan. I am the kind of guy who really only pays attention during the play offs and my biggest concern is the final score. I want to know who won! I could never understand folks who would tape a game and come home, “Don’t tell me the score.” And they would want to watch the whole game. Just scroll to the end and find out who won. When I lived in Minnesota we had season tickets to the Vikings and many times I would go with my nephew to the games. I sort of learned the rules of the game and I enjoyed myself. But come the 4th quarter, especially if it was cold I was anxious to go home. I would ask my nephew, “Can we go?” Not yet. And then a play would be called or ball would be intercepted and he’d give me the word. “now!” We could go because there was no longer any hope. It was impossible for the other team to win, we could make our way to the car. They would just run out the clock; they knew who won. There was no hope for the other team. I remember the old days watching the presidential elections. Before these days of razor thin margins. Around 8 PM the election would be called. Because of the electoral college one guy was guaranteed to win. It didn’t matter how California voted, there was no hope for the other guy. I have been in the hospital several times when the doctor comes to talk to the family. From the look on their face you know what they are going to say even before they say it. “I am sorry, we’ve done everything that we could. But there is no hope.” We might be able to think of things that are hopeless but the fact of the matter is for us Catholic Christians there is always hope. Take the example of the person who is dying. We know that even if they die there is still hope. Death is not the end. This morning’s gospel is the end of the parable of the Sower. A few weeks ago we had the first part about the Sower who went out to sow. “A sower went out to sow, and some seed fell on the path, some on rocky ground, some fell among thorns and finally some fell on rich soil where I produced fruit.” Now if the seed is the word of God, why did the sower waste it? Why spread it on the path? Not because he was foolish or wasteful, but because he had hope. Why did he sow it on rocky ground? Because he had hope. Why let it get in among the thorns? Because he had hope. Why does he sow the word amongst us, because he has hope. Why does he sow it in the USA? Because he has hope. Jesus is always generous because he is filled with hope. He has hope for each and every one of us. We are called to follow his example. We are called to be men and women of hope. I would be more picky. I would choose who I think is worthy of the word of God. But not our sower, not Jesus. Jesus spreads the seed everywhere and not because he is wasteful or doesn’t care. But because he has hope. Jesus does not choose just some of us to receive his word. He doesn’t look out and think, “yeah they are good and worthy.” “They go to mass every Sunday.” “They help out at the food bank.” No, Jesus spreads his seed everywhere because he is filled with great hope. Jesus came for us because he believed in each and every one of us. When Cardinal Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV the Church was in the midst of a Jubilee year. The theme was “pilgrims of hope.” And as the saying goes Pope Leo XIV took the theme and ran with it. Giving it his characteristic Augustian twist. Saint Augustine writing on Hope said "Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are." Hope has two beautiful daughters: anger and courage. What does Saint Augustine mean? We all know of the problems of the world in which we live. There are wars in Ukraine, Iran in the Congo and Myamar. There are environmental problems and natural disasters. Our own country seems to be more and more divided between red and blue. The problem of the lack of respect of human life. In San Francisco you have the problem of people living on the street which as we all know is just a part of the larger housing crisis. Many people carry unseen burdens: grief, loneliness, anxiety, disappointment and fear. And in the face of all these problems hope may seem to be unrealistic or an escapism. Yet the Christian message has never been that hope is easy. But Christian hope is stronger than despair because it is rooted in our life in Christ. That is where the daughter of hope Anger comes in. The Christian, the believer in Jesus sees all these problems in the world today and there first reaction is anger, why anger? Because we know that things don’t have to be that way. It is upsetting to think of the wars in our world, the division in the country, the situation in the streets of San Francisco. But the person of hope doesn’t just close the door, go inside shut the blinds and turn on the Hallmark channel. No there first response is anger because they know that things do not have to be that way and then comes along anger’s sister, courage! We don’t just end in our anger but we have the courage to go and do something about it. Our quote for the day says to hope is to choose. A person of courage is one who chooses. They believe that whatever the situation if we bring the person of Christ there is always hope. A person of hope chooses to do something about the situation in the world in which we live. Christian hope is not just wishful thinking. It isn’t pretending that suffering doesn’t exist. Hope is the confidence that God is present even when we cannot see the outcome. It is the certainity that the resurrection has the final word over every cross. Pope Leo said that without hope we are dead; with hope we come to the fullness of life. So to be a person of hope does not mean that the cancer will be gone; the other person won’t file for divorce; that your political party is always going to win and that all problems will go away and we will find an easy solution that will make everyone happy. No, brothers and sisters that isn’t hope. People do get discouraged, relationships are strained, the future seems uncertain but hope is not based on our strength to make it through, but on God’s faithfulness. A person of hope brings their faith in Jesus to the situation whatever it is. So let us live as pilgrims of hope. Let us carry hope into our homes, our workplaces, our schools and communities. But most especially let us bring hope to our church. Let us become people whose lives quietly proclaim that Christ is alive, that love is stronger than hatred, that mercy is stronger than sin and that God’s promises never fail. May the God of hope fill our hearts with peace. May Christ strengthen us for the journey. And may the Holy Spirit makes us living witnesses of hope until the day we see Jesus face to face.