There’s a big difference between hope and expectation. Hope is nourished by human plans for a better future. Hope is rooted in trust in God for a future he is preparing. It is an ‘ anchor for the soul, firm and sure ’ (Heb 6:19) that anchors us firmly in God’s love. Its biblical model is Abraham, who ‘ hoped against hope ’ (Rom 4:18).
This year’s meeting of young people organized by the Taizé Community was based on the theme of hope, taken up by the letter from its prior, Brother Matthew: ‘ Hope beyond all hope ’. ‘Pilgrims of Hope‘ is also the theme Catholic Church’s Jubilee, which opened at Christmas.
May this year be ‘anchored’ in hope, and I wish you a good – and better! – year!
But how can we keep hope alive when so many have to accept losses and give up? How can we get through health problems and psychological and spiritual suffering while remaining on our feet? What will be the consequences of the various socio-economic crises, not to mention wars?
What resources can we draw from our faith when it is put to the test, when our prayers seem to go unanswered?
We are all called to examine our conscience and to hope beyond hope, as the Taizé Community invites us to do.
We are reminded of Abraham, who ‘ hoped against all hope’ when God promised him a child even though he and his wife were very old (Romans 4:18-22).
An anchor for the soul
His example shows us that hope is rooted in trust in God. Why is it an ‘ anchor for the soul, firm and sure ’ (Heb 6:9)? I can think of at least four reasons.
Firstly, it is an anchor for the person who lives the Word of God. Doing his will makes our lives solid. It does not place its ultimate hope in political programmes or scientific progress, but in the promise of God who wants us to be happy, as the prophet Jeremiah says:
« For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future« . (Jer 29:11)
Secondly, our hope is an anchor, because it is based on the example of Jesus, who was animated throughout his life and passion by the conviction that God would raise him three days after his cruel death.
So when we are faced with the harshness of death, injustice or some other adversity, let us never despair! Let us live it out before Jesus, who crossed every dark valley in hope! And let us continue to love our neighbour as he did, right up to the point of forgiveness!
Thirdly, our hope is an anchor, because our life is hidden in the risen Christ: he is among us and hears our cries and our prayers. He accompanies us on our journeys, where, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we do not at first understand what is happening to us.
Finally, our hope is an anchor, because the Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts. « And hope does not put us to shame, Paul says, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us« . Our heart does not deceive us because the Spirit transforms it (Rom 5:5).
Let us listen to the Holy Spirit in our hearts, just as we listen to him speaking to us through his Word, just as he speaks to us through our sisters and brothers, especially through the least of these!
The poet Charles Péguy spoke of the ‘ little hope “ … ”La petite fille de rien du tout ». ( hope is « a very small girl ».)
For him, hope is « a source of life, because it never ceases to destroy habit. It is the seed of all spiritual birth« .
Anchored in the resurrection
To anchor our hope firmly, Brother Matthew, the prior of Taizé, directs our attention to the resurrection of Christ:
« Faith in the Resurrection has enabled many people to cling on to hope in the midst of distress. It is a source that leads us beyond our own impossibilities, so as to let our heart go out towards others and to act.
To believe in the Resurrection of Jesus takes a lot of courage and daring. It means striving not to be paralyzed by the presence of death and destruction that are around us today.
Out of situations that seem hopeless, God can create something new. God can bring life out of death and even reconciliation out of conflict ».
Yes, hope is an anchor for our soul, because it is anchored to the love of God manifested in Jesus’ resurrection. A love that is a lifestyle to be lived step by step, in the confidence that the Holy Spirit will accompany us even into our darkest valleys.
Our vocation as Christians is to be witnesses to this hope: « Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. » (1 Peter 3:15). This is what we want to bear witness to in the JC2033 initiative, in which I have been involved for more than 8 years and 4 months. There are still 8 years and 4 months to go until Easter 2033. So I’m halfway through this commitment, which has broadened my heart and my experience!
« What could be better than this opportunity to try and celebrate all together Easter on the 2000th anniversary of the resurrection of Jesus. Then I’m sure there will be great joy in heaven”, told us Brother Matthew, when we visited him in Taizé.
May this new year be anchored in hope, sustained by faith and love, as the Camargue Cross so aptly represents!
And what does hope mean to you?
Prayer
To begin this year, I’d like to suggest a three-step prayer time, in which we can say the little words of prayer: ‘thank you’, ‘forgive me’, ‘please’.
1. Thank the Lord for his grace, even in the difficult circumstances of the past year.
2. Tell Him : « Forgive me » for everything that has not been lived out in his Spirit, for all the times when I have not acted as ‘ witness of hope’, as ‘ co-workers with the truth’ (3 Jn 8).
3. And finally, say « please » to Him, asking that the strength of hope be the beacon that lights our way, praying for what we hold dear, in our lives, the Church and the world.
.
Arise, shine: your light is coming, Jerusalem! (Isaiah 60:1)
The day will come, Lord, when your glory
will shine in Jerusalem,
When humanity, reconciled at last
Will shine with your light.
That day has already come, Lord,
When humble and fragile,
You gathered around you
Shepherds from Bethlehem and Magi from the East.
That day has already come, Lord,
When lifted up on a cross
And rose from a tomb,
You drew us to yourself.
That day has already come, Lord,
When you poured out your Spirit of fire
To unite all humanity
In the one embrace of your love.
That day is coming now, Lord,
When we celebrate your Eucharist
That nourishes and unites us in you
And brings us into your Jerusalem.
Jerusalem already reconciled,
It is here and now
When your Word is lived,
When your meal is shared,
When brotherhood brings us together,
When the poor are evangelised.
Maranatha.
Come Lord Jesus, come soon!
.
Happy and holy New Year, Martin
Laisser un commentaire