What does it mean to be hopeful? The first thought that comes to mind is that we are hopeful when we desire something that may or may not be attained. We “hope” something will happen.
Why is being hopeful very different from being full of hope in the Christian life?
Pope Francis in his book On Hope tells us:
“Christian hope is the expectation of something that has already been fulfilled; the door is there, and I hope to reach the door. What do I have to do? Walk toward the door. I am certain that I will reach the door. This is what Christian hope is: having the certainty that I am walking toward something that is, not something that I may hope to be. Christian hope is the expectation of something that has already been fulfilled and that will certainly be fulfilled for each one of us.”
Christian hope is rooted in the fulfillment of God’s promises. As we have journeyed through Advent, we heard Isaiah foretelling the moment when hope would come into the world, the incarnation of the Son of God.
“Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isaiah 11:1).
God fulfills his promise by becoming human. By doing so, Pope Francis says that God inaugurates a new kingdom which gives a new hope to mankind…. the hope of eternal life. Our resurrection and that of our departed loved ones, therefore, is not something that may or may not happen but is a certain reality, because it is rooted in the event of Christ’s Resurrection.”
St. Paul reminds us that God has made us many, many promises. “I go to prepare a place for you.” “I will raise you up on the last day.” “No one can snatch you out of my hand.” Of Jesus, Paul says, “For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him.” Jesus’ response to our deepest desires and needs is “Yes.”
As 2025 comes to a close, we remember the words of St. Paul that Pope Francis used to proclaim the Jubilee Year: “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)
May we continue as pilgrims of hope with the certainty that we are on a journey with Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, toward the Father who awaits us with open arms.
Debbie Garza is a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Leon Springs, and is an experienced Pilgrimage Group Leader with Pilgrim Center of Hope. She has traveled with Pilgrim Center of Hope to the Holy Land, Italy, and Greece. She says, “On pilgrimage, I know the ears and eyes of my heart have been opened by God’s grace and I’ve experienced the Joy of the Gospel. I am committed to helping other pilgrims experience their personal journey of faith.” Debra is also a member of Pilgrim Center of Hope’s Speaker Team.
Pilgrim Center of Hope provides events, experiences, and media; initiating a desire in people to encounter Jesus Christ in their daily journey of life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
