A friend sent me a reflection from the week of Epiphany. In it the author, Alice Camille, talked about activities that might be considered risky—walking a tightrope, swimming with sharks, crossing the Antarctica, and hope. Most of would consider the first three risky, but the fourth? Camille goes on to make the case for hope being risky also.
“After the events of last year, however,” Camille says, “hope may feel for some of us like a precarious walk across paper-thin ice...as dubious as Charlie Brown imaging that Lucy won’t yank the football as soon as he heads toward it.” Into this downgrading of hope Camille leads us to the Prophet Isaiah. After a very dark time centuries ago Isaiah showed his people that they could dare to hope, even in the most trying of times.
Today, instead of Isaiah, I am going to turn us to Pope Francis to show us that we can dare to hope. In his homily as he was celebrating a very lonely Mass for the resurrection of Jesus last Easter he said, “Tonight we acquire a fundamental right that can never be taken away from us: the right to hope. It is a new and living hope that comes from God. It is not mere optimism; it is not a pat on the back or an empty word of encouragement. It is a gift from heaven, which we could not have earned on our own.”
Hope comes in small ways and big way, subtle ways and obvious ways. But whatever way it comes, Jesus wants us to bring hope to “our everyday life." It’s a new year. Hope is in the air.
Showcasing 7th grade’s talents: Sophia R.s delightful dog is one of those small ways hope can come to us - through art that makes us smile.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
4th Grade Aide
Jr. High ELA Aide