Hope Doesn't Disappoint

This weekend while at a funeral mass for a friend's loved one, these words rang true to me during the homily.  "Hope doesn't disappoint!" The priest was advising those present to not mourn or grieve like those who have no hope.  We must keep hope alive and as a Catholic we find that hope in the Eucharist.  "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." John 6:55   The priest said that the Eucharist is not food and drink for saints; it is there to nourish us!  Praise God!

For anyone going through difficult times, hope is crucial.  Whether it is mourning the loss of a loved one, financial difficulty or a long awaited miracle, we must look ahead toward better days with hope.  If we don't have hope, we can become filled with self-pity or despair.   Every night, our almost three year old "reads" a book called, "The blue day book."  It is a short story that goes through what blue days are, accompanied by cute and silly pictures of all kinds of animals.  There is a part that talks about that hope, "The world is full of amazing discoveries, things you can't even imagine now.  Who knows what fantastic things are in store just around the corner?"

We all must wait in anticipation for what's to happen next and I think it is important for us to realize, WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL.  While we can try to position ourselves for the best possible outcome, God is the one in control.  When I worked at NH Catholic Charities, I heard the saying, "Let go and let God!"  I had never heard it before then, and didn't ever really have any reason to think about this saying more.  But I find myself thinking about it often these days.  We can do our best to "plan" our lives and prepare ourselves or do it OUR way, but God's plan is way better than anything we can even imagine.  We have to trust and hope in Him.

Yet another sign we watch a bit too much TV, there is a song in the Veggie Tales Movie "Josh and the Big Wall" that is relevant here:


The Lord has given this land to us
No need to fuss, He knows what He's doing
We know that He will take care of us
If we will follow Him.

For anyone struggling through a difficult time right now, know that God DOES have a plan for you.  He WILL take care of you.  Just trust in Him and follow him.  God has given us the gifts of faith, hope and love. 

Go to the Eucharist for nourishment and know that HOPE DOESN'T DISAPPOINT!