Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,
1 Peter 3:15-16
Have you ever thought about the virtue of hope as more than just a good feeling? We can compare hope to the sun in the sky. At dawn, it is simply beautiful, like the gift of hope given as a grace from God to all of us, but at noon the brightness and the strength of the sun and it's light and heat is like a fortifed hope, a hope exploding in confidence of God's love for you and for me! It is the same virtue of hope, but the degrees of intensity can change as we journey through our lives. Let's pray today for the dazzling hope that will give us the confidence we need to persevere and endure what trials life may bring.
To give a reason for our hope, we can remember God's promises. "The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life, Of wom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 26 Even if danger threatens, we can remain rooted in the hope that God is there for us, providing us with the graces we need to not just get by, but to thrive.
