Faith, Hope, and Love
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
Rom. 5:1–8
I offer above the first eight verses of the fifth chapter of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans because, this past week, while on Retreat, I had the opportunity to spend some time in prayer with this and some other Scripture passages that speak about Hope. The opportunity of an annual Retreat is a gift the Church gives to priests, bishops, and those in consecrated life. The Church is so convinced of the “value” of this gift that an annual retreat is a requirement in Canon Law. While an annual event for clergy and religious, all the faithful benefit from a retreat experience. It is not as easy for busy families and individuals to make a retreat, but it is a worthwhile goal toward which to strive. Pope Francis sees the purpose of retreats as channeling strength from our relationship with God and focusing our attention on our service to others.
As the Holy Father writes, “I have wanted to encourage our belonging ‘first’ to God, and then to creation and to our fellow human beings, especially to those who cry out to us.” When we spend some concentrated time with the Lord, we are renewed in our vocation to be his disciples, and we are sustained by the hope that God’s love gives us.
In my time as a bishop, I have been grateful that the bishops of New Jersey and Pennsylvania have the custom of organizing an annual retreat in January or early February. I am even more grateful that the retreat usually takes place at a retreat house in Florida, which provides a very welcome break from the cold weather at this time of year. The retreat is usually “preached” by an invited speaker who offers two “conferences” (talks) each day, often focusing on a particular theme. The speaker for this year’s retreat was Bishop Frank Caggiano, the bishop of Bridgeport, Conn. and, originally, a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Having known Bishop Frank since my time in the seminary, I had an idea that the talks would be very good. As the retreat progressed, the talks were even better than I could have expected.
Not surprisingly, in this Jubilee Year, this Jubilee of Hope, with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” Bishop Frank chose to focus his reflections on the theme of Hope. Many of the bishops who attended, towards the final days of the retreat, were encouraging Bishop Frank to “publish” the talks that he was offering because they were so filled with spiritual “nourishment,” with the wisdom of experience, and were both comforting and challenging. It would not be possible to summarize the eight talks and four homilies that were given by Bishop Frank, but I would like to offer a few “highlights” that were especially helpful and impactful for me, with the hope that they could be helpful to readers as we continue our journey in this Jubilee Year.
“Hope is plural.” I do not think that I have heard it expressed in this way before. In his second talk, Bishop Frank presented “Hope as plural,” saying that when we use the word hope, we are speaking about two “levels” or two “kinds” of hope: natural and supernatural. When we speak of hope on the natural level, we are speaking of earthly, human hopes. Bishop Frank did not use this particular example, but one might say, “I hope that the Yankees will win the World Series this Year,” and that, perhaps obviously, would be an example of a natural, earthly hope. Here, we can see that having (natural) hope is part of human nature. All (or almost all) people “hope” that they and those they love will be happy, healthy, and safe.
Through the gift of Faith, we can see or recognize the difference between natural and supernatural Hope. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the “theological virtue” of Hope in this way:
Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” “The Holy Spirit … he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”
In his reflection on “Hope is plural,” Bishop Frank encouraged and challenged us to remind others that natural hope can be a very good and a wonderful part of “being human,” but, as disciples (and teachers), we must always be on guard against the temptation that natural hopes would distract us from the more important, truly valuable, supernatural Hope of salvation and eternal life, which we find in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
“Finding Hope in Prayer and the Word of God.” I hope (pun intended) that most readers are aware that Pope Francis chose Romans 5:5, “Hope does not disappoint” (“Spes non Confundit” in Latin) as the title for his Bull of Indiction, calling the Church to this Jubilee Year and introducing the theme of a “Jubilee of Hope,” calling us to be “Pilgrims of Hope.” In our preparations for the Jubilee, after reading the Bull of Indiction approximately nine months ago, I think I spent a few moments reading and praying, not only with Romans 5:5 but with the verses that precede and follow it. “A few moments” was not enough. As Bishop Frank offered us Romans 5:1-8 as a “guiding text” for our prayer and reflection during the retreat, I took the time to “really listen” to Paul’s message and to what the Word of God is saying to us in these passages. I encourage you to find and take the time to prayerfully read and reflect on this beautiful passage. As Bishop Frank reminded us if we are to be true “Pilgrims of Hope,” we need to be constantly nourished on our journey by spending time in quiet prayer and reflection, by the Eucharist and the Sacraments, and always by the Living Word of God.
Another Scripture passage that we reflected on during the retreat and which I happily offer to you for your prayer and reflection is 1 Peter 3:13–18, which includes that powerful and challenging instruction in v. 15:
“… but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope …”
“Finding Hope in a Poem” I studied some poetry (and poets) in college and have been inspired by some poetry over the years, but I would not say I am a “fan” (or student) of poetry — unless you “count” Bob Dylan, U2, Simon and Garfunkel and some other “musical poets,” which may be a good argument to have (or column to write) on another occasion. On the retreat, Bishop Frank introduced us to a poem called “Portal of the Mystery of Hope” by the French poet Charles Peguy. After the retreat, I learned that Bishop Frank gave us a three-page excerpt of the book-length poem. I ordered the book.
I will share with you a few lines from the excerpt Bishop Frank shared with us:
“… But hope, says God, that is something that surprises me. Even me. That is surprising.
That these poor children see how things are going and believe that tomorrow will go better. That they see how things are going today and believe that they will go better tomorrow. That is surprising and it’s by far the greatest model of grace …”
The poem is a beautiful meditation on the mystery of suffering and the power of grace, which leads to and strengthens hope. Peguy goes on to depict “Hope” as a little girl, walking between and holding the hands of her two older sisters, Faith and Charity. It looks to the observer that the two older sisters are leading the little girl, but when one looks closer, it is the little girl who is leading her two older sisters, who are tired from the journey. Towards the conclusion of the excerpt are these lines describing the little girl and her sisters:
It’s she, the little one, who carries them all.
Because Faith sees only what is.
But she sees what will be.
Charity loves only what is.
But she, she loves what will be…
… Hope sees what has not yet been and what will be.
She loves what has not yet been and what will be.
In the future of time and of eternity.
It was a grace to have the gift of a retreat. Please know that all of the priests, deacons and their families, religious and all of the faithful, were daily in my prayers during the retreat. For those unable to make a retreat and for those who are clinging to hope for forgiveness, healing, or love, reflect on these words from Peguy, who gives us such marvelous insight into the gift of hope available to all of us — the undying hope we can find be spending even a few moments with the Blessed Sacrament:
What must my grace, and the strength of my grace, be so that this little hope, vacillating at the breath of sin, trembling with every wind, anxious at the slightest breath, be as constant, remain as faithful, as righteous, as pure; and invincible, and immortal, and impossible to extinguish; as that little flame in the sanctuary. That burns eternally, in the faithful lamp. One trembling flame has endured the weight of worlds. One vacillating flame has endured the weight of time. One anxious flame has endured the weight of nights. Since the first time my grace flowed for the creation of the world. Since my grace has been flowing forever for the preservation of the world. Since the time that the blood of my son flowed for the salvation of the world.
