My kind of hope.


Father Pat writes a column each week for the weekly church bulletin.

This week I actually read it and was so blessed my his message that I thought
it would be of encouragement to many of you.

"It seems hard to believe but this weekend begins our Advent journey-a special season of Christian
hope. Given the state of our country-this season of hope is coming at just the right time-but perhaps not for the reasons we might initially consider. During the presidential campaign, hope was a major theme.
The nature of hope presented during the campaign, although all well and good, did not present the fullness of the meaning of Christian hope. According to the Catechism, Christian hope is that virtue by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it. Hope is that virtue which allows us to be joyful in the midst of tribulation because of the promise of salvation. In this sense, supernatural hope differs from our natural sense of hope. When we think of natural hope,
we think of hoping for economic conditions to improve, a disease to be cured or put into remission, finding the right person to marry, or placement in just the right college. Although hoping for and praying for these types of natural happiness is perfectly appropriate, supernatural hope is not destroyed if these natural hopes somehow remain unfilled or only partially fulfilled. If the stock market drops to 5000, we still have Christian hope. Our hope is in the name of the Lord and its power to save us....

The season of Advent then prepares us for the coming of Christ and his message of hope. In God becoming incarnate we are assured of the immensity of God's love."
Father Patrick Norris

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
~Wesley



Encourage one another,
Donna