Hope.
It’s a simple word.
Do not be afraid.
It’s a simple sentence.
We hear the word Hope and the sentence Do not be afraid so often at the moment. It’s part of the funeral liturgy and we talk of it when we encourage one another in our dark moments. But what do they really mean? When we say that we live in ‘sure and certain hope’ what does that really mean?
It means that in the middle of all of this we are assured of our place with Jesus in the next life. When the hardship of this one is over, and we believe in Jesus Christ, we have a home to go to that he has prepared for us with his Father. It means that the troubles of this life are transitory and because of that the burdens that we carry in this life are of little importance.
When our hearts are heavy, when our burdens overwhelm us, we need to reach for this simple and powerful truth.
When we are tempted to snap, when we’re tempted to be grumpy, when we’re tempted to shout and scream and rail against everything and everybody… reach for this simple truth. You can do that in the words of the rosary, you can scream to our Mother for help. She will always come.
Be at peace. Hope in the Lord. Do not let your hearts be troubled.
With all our love & prayers,
Frs. Matthew, Edward, Mike & John