A Life of Hope 

  “Remember the past with gratitude.  Live the present with enthusiasm.  Look forward to the future with confidence.”  Saint John Paul II 

   Too often we do the exact opposite of the guidance offered by St. John Paul II.  We have remorse and heartache over past events, we see each day as a chore, and look for worse to come tomorrow.

   Like everyone, I’ve had good and bad times in my life.  But as I look back I see that so many things that I thought were wrong, have turned out to be valuable lessons in life.  If all had been perfect I would have had no reason to strive for better things.

   Each day is a blessing.  Yes, some are difficult, but most are good.  The good days are a gift from God and I thank Him for His many blessings.  The bad times remind me how much I need Him and urge me to seek Him even more.

   Even pain and suffering can be a blessing.  When I look at the life of Jesus I see how much He suffered to offer me salvation.  My sufferings in no way compares to His, but I offer them to Him in thanksgiving for all He endured for me.

   Some expect the worst of the future.  They are dismayed by the political problems of our times and the turmoil within the Church.  I see the same things and am sorrowful for them, but politics, even the politics of the Church is not the source of my hope for the future; Christ is.  “And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may also be.” (John 14: 3).

   How I look at my past, my present, and the future is my choice.  I choose to look for the good, for the positive, and for the hope of Christ. 

I thank You for Your many blessings.

For the good times and even the bad.

In You is the source of all hope.

Fill me with that hope. 

Amen