What do Courage and Hope mean to you? Caroline Starr Rose is starting a conversation about these two virtues to celebrate her beautiful new website AND her book May B., which is out in paperback.I've been sick for over a week with a rotten migraine, and have been contemplating the gift of hope. These lovely words keep me company:
In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded. ~ Ps. 30:2
Because he hath hoped in Me, I will deliver him: I will protect him. ~ Ps. 90:14
A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. ~ Ps. 50:19
I used to think of hope as it pertained to this or that outcome, and I still can't help it, but when I can do nothing but lie in bed and shed bitter tears, I am able give up all those material longings, and begin to finally say and mean "Thy will be done ... on earth as it is in Heaven" and I can't help but long to be in Heaven. I am not suicidal, but I do know I'm a traveler here. My true home is with God.
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| A squirrel hid these peanuts hoping to find them another day! |
Three things necessary for the attainment of eternal life:
the pardon of our sins (to every sinner who desires to repent, He promises pardon),
the victory over temptations (not by our own good resolutions ... but place our hope in the merits of Christ),
and the crown of all graces, a holy death (Christ alone can give us the strength to suffer, with patience and profit, the trials of this last decisive moment).
We are united to Jesus Christ by bonds of love so strong that nothing can ever break them unless we ourselves break them by mortal sin. ... The Lord has written us in His hands with His own blood. Therefore we should allow nothing to disquiet us, for He arranges and disposes everything with these very hands which were nailed to the Cross as a proof of His love for us.
So this my friends is hope! With it comes courage to bear all things patiently and humbly and with love
7 comments:
This whole post is beautiful, but, wow, did that second line from the psalms strike me. What a promise from God!!
Still praying for you, friend, that you'll be given relief and healing.
Beautiful! I am so sorry to hear about your difficult week. Google Now must have figured out that I enjoy your blog. It just popped up a link to it on my phone's home screen!
I pray you will get relief, Vijaya. Yes, I know I should ask for G-d's will to be done, but I ache just reading about yours.
Thank you all for your prayers.
Faith, isn't St. Alphonsus just beautiful! And those psalms. It's the Liturgy of the Hours that drew me into them like never before.
Gary, google is smart :) Thanks so much for stopping by.
Mirka, my friend, you have compassion and for that I am very thankful. Suffering has allowed me to practice detachment; it comes with its own graces. Of course, I do wish I could learn these lessons some other way ...
Hello!
I've just come back from a trip and am so happy to find this gorgeous post waiting for me. Thank you, Vijaya, for so perfectly painting a picture of true and eternal Hope. Praying for comfort at this time.
What a wonderful, beautiful post, Vijaya! I hope you are feeling much better today!
Caroline and Becky, thank you for your prayers. I am much better and looking forward to being more involved in earthly matters.
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