Petition: Lord, may I always be ready to give the reason for the hope that is in me (1 Peter 3:15).

 

But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many (people) followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

 

Introductory Prayer: Lord, a thousand distractions assail me; a thousand problems fill my thoughts; and yet is there anything more important that I could be doing right now than being with you, my source of life and my final goal?

 

 

1. "And in his name the Gentiles will hope."

 

What is the foundation of our hope? Pope John Paul II, speaking on October 31, 2001 in the Vatican, borrowed language from the theatre, a passion of his youth, to present God as the "mysterious and invisible director" who moves "behind the scenes" in human history. "The certainty of the providential action of God is a source of hope for the believer, who knows he can count on his constant presence. No thought can encompass him. Man can only contemplate his presence, prostrating himself in adoration in praise, by discerning his imprint in the universe. God intervenes in history, even if it is not immediately apparent. It might be said that he is ´behind the scenes.´ He is the mysterious and invisible director who respects the liberty of his creatures, but at the same time holds the thread of the world´s events. Herein lies the hope of the believer. In fact, the creative act is not an episode that is lost in the night of time, as if the world, after that beginning, should consider itself abandoned to itself. God constantly brings into being the creation that came from his hands. By definition, God is the only One. Nothing can compare to him. Everything is subordinated to him."

 

2. "A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench."

 

God has revealed himself in Christ as he who will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoldering wick. He is the God who "wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). Because he is true God and true man, he alone can accomplish our salvation:

 

"Nevertheless, I know that my God took upon himself flesh like unto my own: He lived, he suffered, and he died just as I do and shall. Yet he is not wholly like me, for did he not rise again after death, did he not rise of his own power? It is because he did so rise, and because I know it with entire certainty, that the hope of salvation swells up in my soul. It is through the Son, God in man made manifest, that I shall, one day, know the Father in the dazzling clarity of the Spirit" (Henri-Daniel Rops, The Mass).

 

Conversation: May hope not be the orphan virtue of my life. Heavenly Father, may it be the virtue that burns unceasingly, like the tabernacle lamp, in the inner depths of my heart, witnessing to my trust that nothing and no one can ever separate me from your love. Amen.

 

Questionnaire:

1. Knowing the need that today's secularized world has for radiant witnesses to eternal life, do I ask Christ for the grace to trust in him completely?  Is my general outlook on life permeated with faith and hope?

 

2. Do I harbor any trace of bitterness or sadness?  What do I do to increase my trust in God during the day?

 

3. Do I take advantage of opportunities to bolster the hope of those around me?  Am I able to offer those who suffer a convinced word of comfort and hope?  Do I pray for them?