Hope Fuels Determination
One
In the 1994 movie, The Shawshank Redemption, the character Andy Dufresne arrives in prison as an innocent man, framed for crimes he didn’t commit. Once there, every action he takes—both large and small—seems odd, even for prison life. His actions, which catch the attention of other inmates, are informed by something hidden, something that unfolds in the plot: Hope. Andy is determined to escape his harsh and hellish imprisonment so has been secretly planning his escape through a series of intricate details, including the digging of a tunnel. He is entirely driven by his hope of escape and his determination to achieve it. Dufresne accomplishes his goal, and, along with his friend Red, escapes to a coastal village in Mexico. The resort town of Zihuantanejo symbolizes heaven, the place of beauty, tranquility, rest, and friendship, a place that captivates him, even though he’s never been there. He believes in it, though, and is convinced he is destined to get there. Thus, he overcomes every difficulty. Hope is an operative virtue, not theoretical. It gives us confidence that we will achieve what God wants of us in the end. Hope motivates, endures, and conquers all challenges. It is the virtue of success! Lord, may our hope in heaven fuel our determination not to make a home in this life, imprisoned as we are in sin, so that all of our actions and thoughts are fueled by a determination to reach our homeland eternally with you in heaven.
Two
Hope is defined in the CCC as the virtue by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it (cf. # 1817). In his first letter, St. John tells us, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us (1 Jn 5:13-14). And we find in the book of Hebrews, “…faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Our faith and hope work together to bring confidence that grace will bring us to our final end. Hope is the virtue which enables me to possess something I don’t yet own, like a house, but can enjoy as my own, because I have God’s promise. This determination for my destiny colors everything I choose and brings peace and patience during life’s tribulations. Jesus, you are my hope and my salvation. May I seek you every day in Holy Communion so that my hope motivates me to accept challenges, even attacks, to my faith so that I persevere to the end.
Three
Patience is a virtue that works alongside hope. If I have confidence that heaven awaits me, that my works and desires, when charged by grace, have the new capacity to achieve this destination, I will discover my determination. Difficult surroundings become merely the lathe whereby the Holy Spirit hones, prunes, and sands my rough edges. I become more docile in His hands and cease resisting so much the trials of life. This is what inspired St. Paul to say, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8: 38-39). This lathe of difficulty often hurts, but afterwards, what richness in our fruits; what maturity in our actions; what determination in our efforts. Let us remember these wise words, the road to heaven is itself heaven; the road to hell is itself hell. Let us strive for heaven today hope and so accept and maybe enjoy every difficult step on our journey there.
Four
There are many vices that undermine hope. Indeed, this is why the 7 deadly sins are so deadly. There are two sins that we must be very careful to avoid because they undermine hope. The sins of presumption and despair are two sides of the same coin even though they seem opposed. Presumption assumes I don’t have to lift a finger or repent because God has no expectations of change or me, while despair means there is no possibility for me to change because God’s expectations are impossible. Why do they belong together? Because they both flow from selfish pride. In each case, the proud man believes either too much in his lack of effort so offers too little from himself, or believes too little in his efforts, despite the action of God working through them. When I rely too much on myself, I will fluctuate between these two false poles. When I place my hope in God, however, I will not be disappointed because His Mercy for me fulfills all promises. “For with the Lord there is steadfast love and the fullness of redemption. And He will redeem His people from all our iniquities” (Psalm 130:7-8).
Five
To escape through his tunnel, Andy Dufresne had to crawl and scurry through slime and muck, enduring all kinds of difficulty to get to his paradise. Hope fueled his determination and kept him from turning back. In our life, we, too, will have much to endure, even the slime and muck of sin. The Virtue of Hope, however, is the virtue that will strengthen our endurance by doing two things: keeping before our eyes the reality of what lies ahead, while simultaneously transforming the challenges from obstacles in our way to rungs on our ladder to climb. In this way, we will discover that hope brings victory. Let us close with this beautiful prayer to Our Lady of Hope: “O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Grace, Hope of the world, hear us, your children, who cry to you; let us pray O God, who by the marvelous protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary has strengthened us firmly in Hope, grant that by persevering in prayer at her request, we may endure all things and obtain life everlasting, through Christ our Lord, Amen.