i hope so
"In His name, the Gentiles will find hope." —Matthew 12:21
As we end the second millennium, with much of the world ensconced in the culture of death after the capping of this millennium with the only two world wars in history, the Lord is calling us to hope in Him. The Church through Pope Pius XII defined the doctrine of Mary's Assumption in 1950. After all the centuries this doctrine was preached and believed, the Church chose to define it in 1950 as a proclamation of hope. Vatican II's great document on the Church concludes by proclaiming Mary as the sign of sure hope (Lumen Gentium, 68). Pope John Paul II introduced the Catechism of the Catholic Church with the Scripture: "Venerate the Lord, that is, Christ, in your hearts. Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply" (1 Pt 3:15). The Pope prophetically named one of his books Crossing the Threshold of Hope. "In hope we were saved. But hope is not hope if its object is seen; how is it possible for one to hope for what he sees? And hoping for what we cannot see means awaiting it with patient endurance" (Rm 8:24-25).
Hear the prophecy of hope. Be a sign of hope. Be a prophet of hope. "This hope will not leave us disappointed, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us" (Rm 5:5).
Prayer: Father, may I be motivated by hope.
Promise: "This was a night of vigil for the Lord, as He led them out of the land of Egypt; so on this same night all the Israelites must keep a vigil for the Lord throughout their generations." —Ex 12:42
Praise: Luis, a teenager, witnessed to an assembly of junior high students that the most precious thing in his life was his faith in Jesus. Then he led the group in singing songs of worship and praise.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 28, 1998
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 1, 1998