“We speak about how things ought to be or what is not going well and ‘we do not start from the affirmation that Christ has won the victory.’ To say that Christ has won, that Christ has risen, signifies that the meaning of my life and of the world is present, already present, and time is the profound and mysterious working of its manifestation.”
Luigi Giussani
One of the major difficulties of starting out life on one’s own is finding a direction. Seemingly endless effort has been put into helping young adults find the “what” and “how” of their life’s path, but it is often the process of actually striving for these goals that presents the true challenge. The journey of a thousand miles may start with a single step, but it is frequently the middle steps that are the most difficult. Soon enough, a fundamental question poses itself: “Why and how should I continue? What kind of story am I living in? Will this story have a happy ending?”
In a good story, we know that the heroes will win out in the end even if the middle has them in dire straits. Their suffering and striving, even their death, will be worthwhile because the story will have been brought to an appropriate and happy conclusion, a conclusion that expresses the mind of its author. Christian faith tells us that life is a story whose Author is a good and almighty God. The central theme of this story is the love of this God for his whole creation expressed in Jesus Christ. It is this love that forms the foundation for the virtue of hope.
Hope is one of the most essential virtues for the young adult. It is ultimately hope that provides the answer to the questions of why and how to go on in life and the strength to take the steps on the journey. Scripture compares hope to an anchor that keeps man moored in communion with God (Heb 6:19-20). It was hope that allowed Pope John Paul II to endure his illness with grace, it was hope that caused Bl. Mother Teresa to seek out the dying of Calcutta, and it was hope that impelled Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassatti, the privileged son of one of Italy’s richest families, to pour himself out in daily service of the sick and poor. This same hope can give each and every Christian the strength to persevere in love amidst life’s trials and uncertainties.
Hope is ultimately grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As St. Peter said, “By [God’s] great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Pet 1:3) But why do Christ’s death and resurrection give us hope? It is not merely that Christ came back from the dead, but that his death and resurrection conquered death once and for all. Others have come back from death by medicine or miracle, but all these died once again. ”Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.” (Rom 6:9) The foundation of Christian hope is that the Christian, having “been united with Christ in a death like his,” will also be “united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Rom 6:5) With God’s help, the story will come to an appropriate and happy conclusion.
Thus, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ answer the question: “What kind of story are we living in?” In Christ’s death and resurrection, we meet the Author of Life. The Author of Life addresses us, saying “I have seen the affliction of my people… and have heard their cry… I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them.” (Ex 3:7-8) By showing them that Love is the Author of the universe’s story, Christ’s death and resurrection give Christians the hope to take all the steps on the journey toward eternal life. Each small act formed by this hope builds the virtue of hope, allowing the Christian to become, like John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and Pier Giorgio, a beacon of hope to the world.
I'm loving the blogs, Matt. This is excellent! Thanks!
ReplyDelete