"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." Ps 62:5
Today the boys and I decided to move on to the next virtue in our study of the 7 major virtues. So this morning we reviewed faith and read the definition of hope.
"Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit." (CCC 1817)
Wow. How timely. You know, my faith has been greatly strengthened by witnessing the uncommon timing of lessons in my own heart, our home education lessons, and lessons/activity happening in our country. I guess I'm so political this time around because it seems to be on an ironic parallel track in our own personal lives. Kinda funny in a not so funny kind of way. Get me? Probably not.
In the past year we've faced some faith-stretching difficulties. Our own issues seemed to have paralleled, if not intersected, similar issues in our country. Maybe I read into things and feel things too deeply. Maybe not. But it gets me thinking and thinking is a good thing. Unless, of course, one is trying to sleep."Find rest, O my soul, in God alone. . . "
So faith. Faith is the virtue where we "believe in God and believe all that he has said." By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God." Still working on that one: freely committing myself to God. This year its been about believing in God, believing He is good, believing what I know to be true. Believe that in the end, all things will work together for good no matter what happens.
So now we move on to hope in our "school" lessons and I follow that onward movement in my heart. As I anticipate the election in two weeks and things hang in the balance when it comes to our home in Washington, I am tempted to pray and beg for what I want. As a Christian though, I MUST not cling to my own desires because holding those desires as most important will only lead to discontent. For peace in all circumstances, there must be hope. Hope is not "hoping" that everything will go as I would choose. Hope and happiness comes from an onward and upward expectation that is beyond this life. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of God that is already here but also the kingdom of God that is yet to come. Heaven.
So that's my aim right now. Cultivating hope. I've got to think through/pray through these earthly difficulties and my own desires concerning them. I absolutely must strain my eyes to see past the challenges in our country and in my desire for a home. I've MUST look forward to that heavenly country and my heavenly home. Perfect peace, security, and happiness cannot fully come in this life. Lord, help me take off the nearsighted glasses."Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will
be added unto you."
And just for fun . . . another quote.
"The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration of happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men's activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity." (CCC 1818)
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