Dear Everyone
How important is the word Hope to you? I believe we need hope as much as we need air to breathe. Without hope, life is just mere existence without meaning.
In fact, Pope Francis has written his biography that is simply, and profoundly, entitled, “Life.” It’s wonderful. I encourage you to get it.
Just like the word, “mercy” was the first message of Pope Francis when he became pope in 2023, so now his word for now, is “hope” in the living of our lives.
The two words, “mercy”, the infinite compassion and forgiveness of God, and “hope”, the first fruit of our faith in our God, are connected. Put very simply, God’s mercy puts hope in our hearts.
Pope Francis has expressed his hope for a better world, in his Jubilee Prayer. The motto for the 2025 Jubilee Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” Not only are we called to have hope in our hearts ourselves, but inspire others to have hope in their hearts too, despite all the evil in the world, for as I said at Easter, ‘sin never wins.’
Ponder this prayer, pray this prayer, repeat this prayer, discuss this prayer, live this prayer and share this prayer for this year of 2024 is the Year of Prayer for 2025:
FATHER IN HEAVEN, MAY THE FAITH YOU HAVE GIVEN US IN YOUR SON OUR BROTHER, AND THE FLAME OF CHARITY ENKINDLED IN OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT REAWAKEN IN US THE BLESSED HOPE FOR THE COMING OF YOUR KINGDOM.
MAY YOUR GRACE TRANSFORM US INTO TIRELESS CULTIVATORS OF THE SEEDS OF THE GOSPEL. MAY THOSE SEEDS TRANSFORM FROM WITHIN BOTH HUMANITY AND THE WHOLE COSMOS IN THE SURE EXPECTATION OF A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH, WHEN, WITH THE POWERS OF EVIL VANQUISHED, YOUR GLORY WILL SHINE ETERNALLY.
MAY THE GRACE OF THE JUBILEE REAWAKEN IN US, PILGRIMS OF HOPE, A YEARNING FOR THE TREASURES OF HEAVEN. MAY THE SAME GRACE SPREAD THE JOY AND THE PEACE OF OUR REDEEMER THROUGHOUT THE EARTH. TO YOU GOD, ETERNALLY BLESSED, BE GLORY AND PRAISE FOR EVEN. AMEN. Francis.
Take care
Fr. Patrick