Hope [is] a combination of the desire for something and expectation of receiving it, the virtue is hoping for Divine union and so eternal happiness… hope is an act of the will.
Wikipedia
Hope is future-focused, looking forward to a positive outcome. Maybe we hope to do well in an interview or on a test, to meet with friends at our favorite hangout spot this weekend, to have time for a nap, or simply that it won’t snow today.
Wikipedia appears to attribute confidence in the desired result, so I dug into “expectation.” The check on my understanding of the term was warranted because the belief “may or may not be realistic.” Perfect; I was muddled in the middle but knew enough to check myself. (Reminds me of calculus.)
To hope is to recognize possibility.
Commander William Riker, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Quit the Snow Talk! (*Peeks Out Window.* Not Yet!)
Okay then. What are you hoping for?
Are you a sports fan longing for your team to take home a trophy? Are you excited about a potential new gig or an annual bonus? Have you discovered something recently and you’re eager to delve into it with the expectation that it will be precisely what you’ve been searching for?
Hoping for Earthly Things Helps in the Long Run
The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1818
We’re called to be hopeful for the Kingdom (with a capital K). Given that it’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus announced how we can hope to enter it, we may be feeling a little worn and weary. There are probably days when we wonder if it’s ever going to happen. (Recently, I’ve started having this prayer discussion which includes a line like, “Not yet, please; I’d like to help somehow before the swords are drawn.”) I’ve also found that I am repeatedly running into a quote I posted yesterday (on the radio, on the lips of friends, randomly popping up into my head): He never said it’d be easy, just that it’d be worth it.
But that doesn’t make it easier on the daily, does it? Here’s a trick that I didn’t realize until it was pointed out – at which point I quickly recognized how true it is: practice makes it easier. We can practice hope in the Kingdom, hope in Jesus, and hope in God’s promises by hoping in things here. It’s like smiling: if you’re stuck in a negative mental space, force a smile until it feels real, then keep smiling until you believe it is real.
It’s a feed-forward loop: the act of smiling “magically” releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin thereby elevating the smiler’s mood and toting with it various health benefits. Feeling happy is easier when we smile – even if we didn’t want to smile in the first place.
Similarly, when we are hopeful about things immediately before us, it’s easier for us to be hopeful overall. This, in turn, increases our “hope” ability, making the more daunting hoping seem more doable.
But What If It Fails?
What if we hope in something that doesn’t come true? It hurts. That’s part of life. Without the pain, we wouldn’t be able to grasp the pleasure because duality is part of our human nature. Part of understanding the “positive” is understanding the “negative.” (And I place these in quotation marks because they may be one or the other in the short run then switch roles when we’re not watching.)
Here’s the flip side: with hope, we dare to strive. In striving, we might succeed. Without hope, we daren’t strive, so we daren’t succeed; there is only a chance of success if we hope.
It is because of hope that you suffer.
Maxime Lagacé
It is through hope that you’ll change things.
The feed-forward loop isn’t just for us, though. When we strive, even if we fail, others will be watching and they will be encouraged to give it a go. By daring to try, we can be the inspiration for someone else, lighting a candle for them to see, to follow, and to ignite their spark.
Short Story of the Day
I played football in high school; since then, it’s simply felt like a feather in my cap: I was the only girl who played on the team, the only one in the entire state at the time. (I earned my varsity letter, too, thank you very much!) While I was in high school, it went both ways: some random people would walk up to shake my hand and tell me how inspirational I was, and other random people would get up in my face about how I was a disgrace to womanhood. Meh. I took the good with the bad, all of it with a grain of salt. If my playing a game helped someone, great! If it makes someone hate me, their loss. Well before my varsity letter, I earned steely skin.
I played for four years. In the beginning (especially while “looking forward to” triple-double practices), it was difficult; I clung to hope that I could do it despite the tough talk of the people around me. I didn’t know what to expect, but I gave it my all – and I did a pretty darn good job. It was a great experience, and I’m glad I did it, but it was mentally grueling to face people who had an opinion – any opinion, positive or negative – on my playing football and being female. Just let me play!
Since graduating, I only think of it during icebreakers (“Tell us one interesting fact about you,”) or if the topic of high school football specifically comes up. It’s a part of me as much as math team, jazz ensemble, and class competition (Penny Drive, anyone?) orchestrating, but no more than anything else that was unique to my high school experience.
For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Recently, my family visited with family friends who moved across the continent. One of our friends was a year behind me in school and now teaches martial arts and orchestrates the best tournaments in the region. She’s awesome. (Sidenote: don’t try to mug her; you’ll lose.) While I’m marveling at the cool stuff she’s doing, she looks up at me to tell me that my playing high school football continues to inspire her. Sometimes, when she’s having a rough day, she thinks about what I went through in high school football to help her regain her footing in hope.
Talk about humbling! This (literally and figuratively) kick-butt woman telling me that I inspire her! With something I hardly ever think about!
How about you? Which sparks are you sending off? There are probably a bunch that you don’t even know about! What are you presenting to the world? How are you offering hope to others, sustaining them or even jumping their batteries?
Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5
Song of the Day: Anchor by Skillet
Wonder what I listen to while researching and writing? Well, today started with online radio. Then I was in and out of the room doing chores when this song came on; I stopped the radio, immediately looked it up, and have been listening to it on repeat since. Check it out – especially if you’re having a rough day. You’re welcome. 😉
Further Reading:
- Great news! I found another online Catechism of the Catholic Church – one without a background that hinders readership. Enjoy!
- CatholiCity offers a simplified (reader-friendly) Catechism. Here’s the section on the theological virtues.
- I discovered an awesome blog covering various issues of interest with a faith perspective. The articles are solid, the writing is excellent, and the author is real. Men, this one’s for you – but ladies can get a lot out of it, too: Catholic Gentleman’s Guide.
Summary
Hope: we’re called to hope in the Kingdom. God gives us plenty of opportunity to practice with things more tangible to our human senses. What have you been hoping on lately? What are you hopeful for in the future? Please let us know in the comments!
