Indeed, there is always Hope in the Almighty God.
As this day marks the beginning of Advent, the start of a new liturgical year of the Catholic Church, I’d like to tell you some more about the traditional theme of this First Sunday and reflect on what it means, especially for those of us who truly hope in the Lord.
1. The first Candle lit on the Advent wreath is referred to as the Prophecy Candle. Its color, purple, which is the liturgical color for the Advent season, reminds us that this season is a special time of prayer, sacrifices, and penance. The light of this Candle is a brilliant symbol of our Hope for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
2. Long before the Incarnation of Jesus, our anointed forefathers, Abraham and his children, the holy Prophets, and the Kings of Israelites, as well as all the pious generations that lived before His time, were bonded in the same Hope — the coming of the Messiah. And they all prayed, awaited and hoped with much anticipation for His birth, so that the souls of the just, or the elect, could be with God again in Heaven.
God granted those holy people the grace of Hope to sustain them and not let them fall into despair and discouragement of sadness, grief, trials, adversities, tribulations, and evils around them. They clung on such hope that one day, the Paradise of God, closed to men from the fall of Adam and Eve, would be open again to the souls of the just.
3. God fulfilled His promise of Hope, and answered the prayers of His people. His Only Begotten Son Jesus became Man, sacrificed Himself, and went through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection so that all the past generations, and our generation now, and all the future generations could enter Heaven. (That is, as long as a person has been constantly receiving the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, dies in the state of grace, free of mortal sin, with sincere contrition in his heart, and according to the Mercy of God.)
My Reflection
1. “Hope,” represented by the First Purple Candle, is not merely a plain kind of ‘hope’ to overcome our small and big problems in life. It is not simply about hoping to get through in our day-to-day life. This one is a symbol of our ultimate hope in the eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
The good news is that this heavenly hope also sparks in our hearts that humanly hope, which we need in this world. Whether we suffer from seemingly ‘impossible’ or ‘unsolvable’ problems, or whatever trials we’re going through right now, we must deal with them with hope — to see them through the eyes of God, and not with the eyes of the world.
What difficulties are you experiencing right now? Suffering from sickness? Unable to do a lot of things because of financial constraints, honest debts, and poverty? Do enemies slander you, spread false stories about you, or speak ill of you to other people? Is your life filled with sadness or pain?
If you are to look using the eyes of the world, it can only lead you to self-pity and despair. The earthly world belittles and looks down on people who suffer. But in the eyes of God, these problems and sufferings happen to us as the Lord allows them because they purify and perfect our souls from our sinfulness, to be deserving of Heaven, which otherwise would have to be purged from us in Purgatory. How glorious it is for a soul who could go straight to Heaven!
They renounced all riches, dignities, honors, friends, and kindred; they desired to have nothing of this world.
They were strangers to the world, but near and familiar friends to God.
They seemed to themselves as nothing, and were despised by this world; but in the eyes of God they were very precious and beloved.
– Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 18: 3, 4: Of the Examples of the Holy Fathers (Saints) by Thomas à Kempis
God’s eyes are solely focused on His plan and will for us men to attain eternal life and salvation. Despite many hindrances to one’s salvation, as long as God sees that you are obedient to His Commandments, that you are humble and pure in heart, that you are so mindful of your words and actions, not to hurt the emotions of another person, He will always send His Providence, ways, means, or people who can be of help. These situations and sufferings you faithfully endure are meritorious and purifying, making you worthy of Heaven.
In The Lord of the Rings (which has always been considered as a Catholic novel with Catholic themes throughout the story and written by a lifelong practicing and devout Catholic, J.R.R. Tolkien), I remember the line of my favorite character, Arwen, that says:
“There’s always hope.”
2. The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives us a solemn perspective of this Hope:
“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.”
– CCC 1817
3. So whenever you feel like there is no hope, and you want to give up, or even have the desire to expire, know that all the trials you face, the injustices done to you, and the ill-treatments or malice caused by your enemies, are temporary. For all these shall pass and end.
This is echoed by the Gospel last Friday, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33). The Lord Jesus Christ shall redeem us, and with the help of Our Blessed Mother, protect us from our enemies, and save us from eternal death. God wants our happiness, especially the eternal one, which He prepared for us in the Kingdom of Heaven. Let this Hope in God’s promise sustain us in this Season of Advent and throughout our whole lives.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
Email: [email protected]
Like 'The Best Catholic' on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheBestCatholic
Leave a Reply