HOPE IS OUR LIFELINE
Andrew Harvey wrote
this about hope, "May we never give up hope, whatever the terrors,
difficulties, and obstacles that rise up against us. May those obstacles only
inspire us to even deeper determination. May we have faith in the undying love
and power of all the enlightened beings that have blessed and still bless the
earth with their presence. May the visions of so many mystic masters of all
traditions of a future world free of cruelty and horror, where humanity can
live on earth in the ultimate joy of union, be realized through all our
efforts."
Hope is in short
supply these days. People seem to have grown unaware of those around them and
their needs. We may feel at times we are just in survival mode which eliminates
hope. St. Paul, in today's first reading, and Luke, in his Gospel, get right to
the point for the primacy of hope. Adopting the image of a body, Paul informs
the Corinthians that with its many parts the body is still one, and each part
must contribute to the good of the whole. In the Gospel, St. Luke preaches hope
through Jesus' miracle. Since the dead man is the widow's only son, she is
extremely vulnerable because she lacks the ability to care for all her needs
alone. Jesus Christ shows her compassion and mercy.
As a disciple in
today's world we are also ministers of hope, which assumes many different forms
in various situations. For example, encouraging those who are having a
difficult time, visiting the sick and those in prison, feeding the hungry and
the list goes on. St. Paul's words help us reflect on these Scripture readings
today, "If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is
honored, all parts share its joy" (1 Cor 12:26). Our prayer in the
Responsorial Psalm is, "We are His people: the sheep of His flock"
(Ps 10:3).
Hope is our
Lifeline!