The Gospel offers many surprises. Christ chooses to be born in such a humble state. Jesus
says he has come mainly for sinners. He chooses an apostle who is a tax collector working
for Rome betraying his country. He says the last will be first and the first will be last. Most
importantly, his suffering and death would be a sign of hope for a new resurrected life.
What is hope? How does it differ from optimism? Optimism looks to the future while
hope resides in the present. I can have hope today not because tomorrow will be bright
filled with wonderful things. I can have hope even in the midst of suffering and even
death, because of God’s love. I can know God’s love and that love will remain with me no
matter what happens. “What can separate us from the love of Christ?” St. Paul professes.
The motto and symbol for the Holy Cross Community is the cross and anchors. “Spes
Unica.” The cross is our hope. Father Moreau, the founder of the Holy Cross Community,
experienced much suffering and even rejection, but he never gave up hope. We too can
hope now because of God’s love, which will “never let us face our perils alone.”
- Does the cross have a place in your spirituality?
- Are you able to trust God even when things might seem hopeless?
- Are you able to live in the present with a hope that will sustain you?
O God, help me trust in your love as I experience the crosses in my life.