I HOPE SO

Grace reigns “by way of justice leading to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” –Romans 5:21

Christians have more reason to be hopeful than any people who have ever lived. We are no longer afraid of death (Ps 23:4, RSV-CE), for Jesus has risen and death has lost its sting (1 Cor 15:55). “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor 15:54). Jesus has won the irreversible and final victory. He is seated on His throne, and He is merely waiting for His enemies to be placed beneath His feet (Heb 10:12-13).

Therefore, we who are disciples of Jesus Christ are a people of hope. Although we notice “the increase of sin” (Rm 5:20), we are certain by faith that “grace has far surpassed” sin’s increase (Rm 5:20). “In hope we were saved” (Rm 8:24), and “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). “Should anyone ask you the reason for this hope of yours, be ever ready to reply” (1 Pt 3:15).

PRAYER: Father, make me a beacon of hope. Give me “a future full of hope” (Jer 29:11).
PROMISE: “It will go well with those servants whom the master finds wide-awake on his return. I tell you, he will put on an apron, seat them at table, and proceed to wait on them.” –Lk 12:37
PRAISE: St. Isaac Jogues negotiated peace with his kidnappers, the Iroquois. Saints Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf, and their companions were the first martyrs of the North American continent officially recognized by the Church.