Something to hope in

Podcast

• Listen to this homily

Scripture references

• Lamentations 3:17-26

• 1 Corinthians 15:51-57

• Matthew 11:25-30

Reflection

At the beginning of this new month, we shift the focus of our prayer from Mary, the Mother of God, to her beloved children, and specifically to those who have completed their earthly journey and have returned to the Father’s house.  You will notice that once again this year, the statue of Mary which stood in the sanctuary of this church for the month of October has been replaced by the Book of Remembrance, and we ask that you take a moment sometime during this coming month to write the names of your friends and family members who are no longer among mortals within its pages, as a simple but profound act of placing them at the altar of the Lord.

Remembering the faithful departed unites us in prayer with them, but it also helps us to consider our own journey in faith, and to ask ourselves some important questions about where our priorities have been placed, and to discern the reason for our hope.  Hope is an essential part of life.  To lose hope is truly a sign of distress because when we have nothing to hope in, we can easily be tired out by the cares and worries of the world.

God understands the human heart, perhaps more intimately than we believe at times.  Even at times when we are tempted to lose hope, he does not abandon us.  Instead he invites us to come closer to him and to find rest in him (cf Mt 11:28).  Jesus invited his disciples to learn from him the truth that even in the darkest moments of our lives, God is with us, giving us hope, and because of this we can overcome any earthly obstacle, including the seemingly impossible burden of grief.

People who have known the joy of truly loving another are indeed fortunate, but when the time comes that we must be separated from a husband, a wife, a child, or a friend who we have truly loved, the pain can seem unbearable.  At times such as these, we can often feel as though we have been set adrift, that there is no reason to carry on, that our souls will never again know peace, but even in times of such bitter longing, there is a reason to hope.

The book of Lamentations reminds us that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are constantly renewed (Lam 3:22-23).  What a comfort it is to know that at moments when our souls are in distress, the Lord holds us tenderly in his loving embrace.  In fact the only reason why we can continue to live is because we know that he holds us, and that the source of our hope is found in him.

As the Church celebrates this year dedicated to Saint Paul, it is fitting that we turn to his writings as well to see what he has to say about hope.  Paul himself speaks with a special eloquence because he knew through personal experience the power of God to change our lives.  Paul, who had once denied the power of God, and who had persecuted the fledgling Christian community, himself became one of its most ardent defenders.

If even this Roman soldier who had once believed in the supremacy of the Empire and its earthly power was able to find a source of hope in Christ the Father’s only Son (1 Cor 15:51-57), who are we to doubt.  Instead, let us be people of hope who turn to God in time of distress, who remember and pray for our departed loved ones, and who look forward to the day when these mortal bodies of ours will be changed into the glorious body of the risen Christ.