Dr. Helen Titilola OLOJEDE

In our Roman Catholic tradition, hope is one of the three theological virtues, together with faith and charity. These virtues are called theological because they have God as their source, object, and ultimate goal. Faith enables the Christian to believe in God and in what He has revealed; charity enables the Christian to love God above all things and one's neighbour for God's sake; while hope enables the Christian to trust that God will fulfill His promises and to confidently await eternal life with Him.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes hope as the virtue by which Christians "desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness," placing their trust in Christ's promises and relying not on their own strength but on the grace of the Holy Spirit. Hope, therefore, has a very different meaning from ordinary optimism. Optimism says, "Things will probably get better." Christian hope says, "Even when I cannot see how things will become better, I trust that God remains faithful and that my life ultimately rests in Him."

A person may be optimistic because circumstances appear favourable. A Christian, however, can possess hope even when circumstances are deeply unfavourable. Hope does not deny suffering, disappointment, illness, bereavement, injustice or uncertainty. Rather, it enables a person to confront these realities without giving them the final word. The biblical foundation of Christian hope is particularly evident in St Paul's words: "We rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God" (Romans 5:2). Paul goes further by connecting hope with suffering: "Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (Romans 5:3–4). This is a remarkable Christian understanding of hope. Hope is not necessarily born when life is easy. Sometimes it becomes most profound precisely when life has stripped away our illusions of control.

There is an important dimension of hope in ordinary life. Imagine a young graduate who has applied unsuccessfully for dozens of jobs. After repeated rejection, she begins to believe that her future is closed. Christian hope does not require her to pretend that everything is fine. She may acknowledge her disappointment, continue improving her skills, ask for help and apply again. But beneath these practical actions is a deeper conviction: her worth is not determined by a job offer, and her future is not exhausted by her present circumstances. She can entrust what she cannot control to God while faithfully doing what she can. Hope is ultimately an act of (blind) trust. It is the quiet confidence that God's promises are greater than our present circumstances.

 

May the God of hope meet us at our point of need according to His riches in Glory.