As you all know I had the privilege of attending the Papal Visit in New York last weekend. And throughout the Holy Father’s visit both his words and his actions were precisely aimed at fulfilling this line from the Letter of St. Peter: be ready to give the reason for the hope that is within you.
Of course the reason for our hope is Jesus the Christ – whose life, death and Resurrection have set us free. The power to destroy, the power of sin and death never triumph; they are defeated. “This is the essence of the hope that defines us as Christians. The One who shows us the way beyond death, is the one who shows us how to overcome” loss, destruction, abuse and fear: it is Jesus the author and teacher of life – abundant life.
“This proclamation of life, life in abundance, is the heart of the” Gospel message – the “heart of the new evangelization” that Pope John Paul and now Pope Benedict, seek to spread throughout the Church and the world.
That is why the Holy Father said and did what he did during his six-day visit. In particular, that is why he met with the victims of sexual abuse – and why he visited the World Trade Center site in New York City.
Even more than his wonderful words – and I again encourage you to read his homilies – these two powerful actions embodied the hope that life in Christ gives us. Our Holy Father chose to go into in the very depths of these two personal and national tragedies, in order to administer the soothing balm that is Christ Himself.
These wounds – the murder of thousands of innocents in the name of God; and the violation of innocence of youths at the hands of priests – these terrible wounds clearly stifle the hope that is meant to spring up from our life and faith in Christ.
Less drastically, but perhaps more fundamentally, there are in our own daily lives any number of other activities, preoccupations and ways of thinking which present themselves to us and “seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment” but in fact we find that they “end only in confusion, fear” and cynicism – the very opposite of hope.
And so, “at times we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to doubt” the fulfillment of Christ’s promise and to place limits on the hope that should mark our lives. Even as Christians, we sometimes become unable to give to someone who might ask, any reason for hope.
So, how can we sustain the hope that should mark our lives as Christians? How can we see to it that the new and abundant life that Christ gives us, and that we celebrate in a special way during the Easter season, can continue to thrive and bear fruit in our lives?
Friends, the lives of the saints give us four essential means of sustaining hope in Christ Jesus. They are: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocation. I’d like to speak briefly about each of these things:
The first and most essential means of maintaining hope is that we develop our personal relationship with God – a relationship expressed in prayer. Despite some people’s impressions, prayer is the polar opposite of closing in oneself, and it does not withdraw from or ignore the ups and downs of daily life. “Prayer turns us towards God, and through Him to one another.” Do you daily turn to God and speak to Him about your deepest needs, hopes, and concerns?
Essentially connected to prayer is silent contemplation. In prayer, as in any relationship, we must not only speak, but listen attentively to the other. I think it is fair to say that in our fast-paced multi-media society we have lost something of the ability to listen. “Do you leave space in your life to hear God’s voice? Do not be afraid of silence or stillness: listen to God and especially adore him in the Eucharist.” Perhaps as a parish, we might practice this silent listening prayer before the Eucharist as we gather for Mass each week by coming to Mass a few minutes early, refraining from conversation and socializing – opening our inner ear to listen to the word of hope that God wishes to speak to us.
Another means of sustaining hope is the liturgy – which is the whole of the Church at prayer together. “The very word ‘liturgy’ means the participation of God’s people in ‘the work of Christ.’” So whenever you come to Mass, or go to Confession, or celebrate any of the sacraments, it Jesus who is at work drawing and keeping you close to Himself, the very source of our hope. And since we share in this work, we can say that, “the Church’s liturgy is a ministry of hope for humanity and our faithful participation is an act of hope for the entire world.”
We need therefore to be ever faithful to Sunday Mass – even when we are busy and tired, even when we are away on vacation. We need Mass as a source of hope, and the world needs the “work of Christ” that liturgy allows us to share in.
Both private and public prayer become “hope in action.” “The life of faith and hope is always the life of charity.” The more we pray, the more we realize God’s love for us, the more we are compelled to share that love with the many hopeless sufferers in our world and our community. What concrete forms of charity might you contribute your time and resources to? Might you volunteer with Catholic Charities or St. Vincent de Paul or some other worthy organization? “Works of mercy and justice not only become hope in action for others” they also help increase the hope within us as well.
Finally, when our lives are “nourished by personal prayer, prompted by God in the silence of contemplation, and shaped by the Church’s liturgy” we are able to discover the particular vocation that God has for each one of us. For many, it is “the vocation of marriage and the dignity of family life.” For some, it is the call to priesthood or to the consecrated life. Whatever vocation the Lord calls you to “embrace it with joy.” God’s call in your life is not an onerous burden it is a joy and a source of hope. Our fundamental vocation in Baptism is that we shine the light of this hope upon the world - to “show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within” us.
As you know, our Holy Father came to the United States to celebrate an important anniversary in the life of the Church in America: the two hundredth anniversary of our nation’s first archdiocese in Baltimore, and the establishment of diocese in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville.
Some might be tempted to think that the best days of the Church in those great cities and in this country have already past. But if as individuals and as parish communities we strengthen our hope in prayer and liturgy, manifest our hope in works of service, and recommit to our vocations then there is no telling what good the Lord could do through us. That is why Our Holy Father had these most amazing words to say at the end of his Apostolic Visit:
Dear friends, this is the particular challenge which the Successor of Saint Peter sets before you: As ‘a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,’ follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! As heralds of hope, hasten the coming of God's Kingdom in this land! Past generations have left you an impressive legacy. And in our day too, the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst. On these solid foundations, the future of the Church in America must even now begin to rise! The Church in America will know a new springtime in the Spirit, and point the way to that other, greater city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.
Let us hope, and pray, and work in order to answer this challenge well, and provide for our nation and the world a “reason for the hope” that is within us.
(The quotations within this text and its theme and structure are taken or adapted from the homilies of Pope Benedict XVI during his Mass at Yankee Stadium and his visit with youth at St. Joseph's Seminary.)
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