HOPE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The virtue of hope Hope is the The object We never The virtue of Let the world responds to the hope is so pleasing Today in your The past aspiration to happiness have too indulge in its theological virtue by of hope is, to God that He prayer you which God has placed in much has declared that confirmed must be madness, for it which we desire the the heart of every man; He feels delight in cannot endure it takes up the hopes in one way, confidence those who trust your resolution kingdom of heaven that inspire men's in Him: “ The Lord to be a saint. abandoned and passes like eternal in the good taketh pleasure in activities and purifies I understand you a shadow. It is and eternal life as Lord who is them that hope them so as to order them happiness, and, in His Mercy” when you make to God's mercy, growing old, our happiness, to the Kingdom of so powerful (Ps. 46:11). this more specific heaven; it keeps man in another way, And He promises and I think, is placing our trust in from discouragement; and so victory over his by adding, the present in its last Christ's promises it sustains him during the Divine merciful. enemies, “I know I shall times of abandonment; perseverance in to our fidelity, decrepit stage. grace, and succeed, not and relying not on it opens up his heart in assistance . . . We obtain eternal glory to But we, buried expectation of eternal from Him as the man who because I am sure the future to in the wounds our own strength, beatitude. Buoyed up by The Divine hopes: “ Because he of myself, Jesus, hope, he is preserved much as we hoped in Me, I will of Christ, why but on the help deliver him; I will but because… divine from selfishness and led assistance is hope for. should we be to the happiness that protect him” ” of the grace (Ps. 90:14). I am sure of you. dismayed? flows from charity. ready to help us. St. Therese of Lisieux providence. of the Holy Spirit. St. Josemaria Escriva St. Thomas Aquinas St. Alphonsus Liguori St. Peter Canisius CCC 1818 St. Francis de Sales CCC 1817 9 10 Hope 11 12 13 14 15 16 When one puts all his We are firmly convinced Hope is the knowledge However wicked I may be, always draws When tempted care on God, and I worry that the truths of however great a sinner, A lack of that the evil we bear to despair, rests wholly upon faith cannot deceive us, I must hope that the soul from within us is finite, confidence I have only Him, being careful, until and yet we cannot bring I should go to heaven. the beauty that meanwhile to serve ourselves to trust that the slightest You forbid me to despair. one resource: Him faithfully, God them; nay, we are far offends is seen to what midnight turning of the will Bl. Charles de Foucauld to throw takes care of him; more ready to trust is beyond, and the greater the towards good, Jesus myself at and from human reason and the always kindles confidence of such a deceitful appearance though it should last If I saw the the foot of one, the more the of this world. gates of hell and the desire then on but an instant, open and I the tabernacle care of God extends This, then, is the cause destroys a little of it, stood on the for the hidden over him; neither is of our slight progress wounds like a little there any danger of I let brink of the through what in virtue, and of our and that, in the abyss, I should dog at the its failing, for God has small success in not despair, His an infinite love for God worry. spiritual realm, is perceived. foot of what concerns the I should not those souls that everything good lose hope of Bl. Louis Guanella glory of God. Heart. its master. repose in Him. infallibly produces good. mercy, because St. Therese of Lisieux St. Gregory of Nyssa St. Vincent de Paul I should trust St. John Vianney St. Francis de Sales Simone Weil in Thee, my God. St. Gemma Galgani 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 [O]ur daily efforts in pursuing For over a thousand years, God is the The judgment of God the Church has greeted Mary, The request our own lives and in working for foundation Hope, the world's future either tire is hope, both because the Mother of God, as “Star of hope: which arises from Christ taught us or turn into fanaticism, it is justice and of the Sea”: Ave maris stella. The most O my soul, hope. unless we are enlightened by not any god, but . . Life is like a voyage on the human heart the radiance of the great hope the God who has a because it is grace. us by You know neither the day that cannot be destroyed . . . the sea of history, often in the supreme human face and If it were merely grace, dark and stormy, a voyage in beautiful If we cannot hope for more making all earthly things confrontation with nor the hour. Watch than is effectively who has loved us which we watch for the His Passion cease to matter, God would Credo attainable at any given to the end, stars that indicate the route. suffering and death, carefully, for everything still owe us an answer to the time, or more than is each one of us and The true stars of our life especially when what we humanity in its question about justice—the are the people who have lived is the passes quickly, even though promised by political or faced with the economic authorities, entirety. . . His love crucial question that we ask good lives. They are lights should suffer your impatience makes our lives will soon alone gives us the of history and of God. If it of hope. Certainly, Jesus temptation to give one be without hope. possibility of soberly were merely justice, in the Christ is the true light, the doubtful what is certain, up in utter for the truth, It is important to know that I persevering day by end it could bring only fear sun that has risen above all can always continue to hope, we and turns a very short time day, without ceasing to us all. The incarnation of the shadows of history. But desperation, even if in my own life, to be spurred on by to reach him we also need and by his or the historical period in God in Christ has so into a long one. Dream that hope, in a world lights close by—people who is above all a pronounce which I am living, there seems closely linked the two to be nothing left to hope for. which by its very shine with his light and so request for the more you struggle, the together—judgment and resurrection Only the great certitude of nature is imperfect. guide us along our way. in grace—that justice is firmly companionship, more you prove the love hope that my own life His love is at the Who more than Mary what we and history in general, same time our established: we all work out could be a star of hope sympathy, and our that you bear your God, despite all failures, guarantee of the our salvation “with fear and for us? . . . Holy Mary, are held firm by the existence of what we support in the time should hope indestructible power of Love, trembling” (Phil 2:12). Mother of God, our Mother, and the more you will only vaguely sense hour of and that this gives them their Nevertheless grace allows teach us to believe, to hope, of trial. It is a plea and which rejoice one day with your meaning and importance, us all to hope, and to go to love with you. Show us for help to keep on for in only this kind of hope nevertheless, in our trustfully to meet the Judge the way to his Kingdom! Star darkness. Beloved, in a happiness and can then give the courage deepest self, we of the Sea, shine upon us and hoping when all eternity. to act and to persevere. await: a life that is whom we know as our St. Pio rapture that can never end. “advocate” (cf. 1 Jn 2:1). guide us on our way! human hope fails. Pope Benedict XVI “truly” life. St. Augustine Pope John Paul II Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI St. Teresa of Avila

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Never lose We need not If Christ is In order Forget that despair Holy heart, for despair of with us, who to remain God’s produced by the Cast yourself in Our Lord is is against a little child, realization of your Mary, always ready any man, so mercies the arms of God us? You can we must expect weakness. — True: to give you long as he financially you are a Star the necessary fight with everything from are and be very sure lives. For God confidence zero, in social grace for deemed it our good Lord, always standing another that if He wants of the the new where you as a child expects better to are sure of greater zero, and another anything of you, conversion everything from in virtues, and you need, for bring good than Sea, victory. With another in talent. his father, He will fit you that ascent in out of evil Christ and our But to the left of Pray the without than not to for Christ these noughts, for the work and supernatural worrying about troubles. victory is stands Christ. And For field. permit evil anything. give you strength. at all. certain. St. Thomas Aquinas what an incalculable St. Josemaria Escriva St. Therese of Lisieux St. Philip Neri Us St. Bernard figure we get! St. Augustine St. Josemaria Escriva

Virtue of the Month, Aquinas Academy, Gibsonia, PA