Hope

One

What is Hope?

First, let’s recall what faith is. God came to us in Jesus to tell us what we could not know on our own, that God made us for transforming union with Jesus. That is the purpose of life, to share in God’s divine life through Jesus and live like him forever in Heaven. We make the choice to believe him and act on that knowledge and that is the virtue of Faith. 

Once we have this knowledge, it’s time to strive after the goal. Striving after the goal of transforming union with Jesus and Heaven - that is hope.

So, hope is the virtue by which we strive for Heaven as something which is possible, but not guaranteed. That means hope involves three things: First, an active pursuit of God and Heaven. Second, a realization that the attainment of Heaven is possible, (after all, if it wasn’t possible to get to Heaven, why would anyone even try to get there?). Third, a realization that failing to attain Heaven is also possible, (after all, if getting to Heaven was guaranteed, why would you have to try to get there?).  

Two

Hope is striving after Heaven

Hope is an active pursuit of God and Heaven. 

What is Heaven? Heaven is not just a place we go after death. Heaven is to be transformed in union with Jesus to be like God forever. That transformation is to begin and be perfected in this life and finalized in Heaven. So, if hope is striving after Heaven, then hope is striving for a transforming union with Jesus. But what exactly do we need to do? 

To reach the goal, of transforming union with Jesus, first, we will need a deep friendship with Jesus that comes through the Eucharist and prayer. Then we need to become like him through the practice of virtue.

So, if I am a person of hope I will do those things because those are the most effective means to striving after Heaven which is hope. But that also means, if I am not doing those things, I am lacking in hope because hope is striving after the goal.  

But be wary of the temptation to give into the tyranny of the urgent. Be careful of the temptation that Jesus loves you unconditionally, so He can wait while we get our “to do’s” done. But that never happens, we never get them all done, and the danger is always putting off striving for transforming union with Jesus – which is putting Heaven off – and it means we have failed in hope. 

Three

The Transforming Power of Hope

The amazing thing about striving after transforming union with Jesus and Heaven by the Eucharist, prayer, and virtue, is that we actually do more good for others than if we skip time with Jesus. 

History, in fact, proves that the people with their eyes fixed on Jesus and Heaven are the ones who do the most good for earthly society. C.S. Lewis articulates this very clearly, "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven.”  

Mother Teresa cared for thousands upon thousands of the poorest of the poor and she insisted the only way she and her sisters could do that is if they spent the first hour of every day in friendship with Jesus in prayer. In fact, when she had more to do than was humanly possible, she would spend two hours with Jesus. Why? Because God can do anything. On our own we can do nothing. 

Jesus said, “I am the vine, and you are the branches, united to me you will bear much fruit. But apart from me you can do nothing.” 

Four

Hope keeps everything in perspective

When we focus on Jesus and Heaven we see that in the grand scheme of things, the frustrations and sufferings of this life are extremely small. This is because of the rule that, as time passes, suffering/frustrations/aggravations/disappointments become increasingly unimportant. That’s why getting a zit in the middle of your forehead right before prom, seemed like a big deal at the time, it doesn’t seem like a big deal now. The passage of time has enabled us to see those minor trials from within a bigger context.

So what gets on your nerves now? 

Well, do you think that in a billion, trillion, gazillion years, you’re still going to say, “You know, I’m still mad about that. And I’m glad I was anxious and irritable back then, I’m glad I went around complaining all the time.”

No, as St. Teresa of Avila puts it, compared to heaven this life is like one bad night in a bad hotel. Way of Perfection 40:9

But that’s very important because people who make a difference on earth are people who can deal with frustrations or disappointments or obstacles. If you want to live a full life, you can’t sweat the small stuff. And from the perspective of eternity, everything is the small stuff. 

Five

Hope and the eternal relevance of our decisions

The perspective of eternity also shows us that our decisions become infinitely important because eternal destinies are at stake.

As C.S. Lewis says in The Weight of Glory, “With every decision we are nudging ourselves and those around us closer to a final destiny of astounding glory or everlasting horror.”

This is why Hope is a virtue, because, like all the virtues, it helps us live well. And if you want to live the fullest, most effective life possible, you do it by thinking about Jesus and Heaven. You do it by not worrying about the passing sufferings down here, and you do it by remembering that your choices have eternal ramifications for yourself and others.

A life lived with hope is a life that doesn’t waste any time and it doesn’t miss any opportunities. It makes the most of this life and it makes the most of the next.