Our Language, Our Song

Theological Virtue: Hope

Descriptor:

Trusting God’s promises in prayer and work for justice.
The language of our story speaks of hope. The theological virtue of Christian hope is God’s gift to us at Baptism, which unites us with the risen Christ. By hope, we desire the happiness of the Kingdom and eternal life. Hope makes us able to trust to trust in God’s promises, no matter what the obstacles. It keeps us from despair and presumption, and is expressed principally in prayer. Hopeful people live the Gospel with joy; they work for peace and justice on earth despite facing many obstacles. They trust that God’s plan will be fulfilled, even if not in their lifetime. Hope is visible in our Catholic schools whenever we find prayer, trust in God’s faithfulness, and work for peace and justice.

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Scripture Quotes:

The Resurrection of Jesus
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." Then they remembered his words and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
Luke 24: 1-12

The People who Walked in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light
But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9: 1-7

A Shoot Shall Come out From the Stock of Jesse
A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:1-9

A Future With Hope
"For surely I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."
Jeremiah 29:11

My Redeemers Lives
For I know that my redeemer lives, and that at last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh, I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
Job 19: 25-27

The Lord is My Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
Psalm 23

Righteous Hope Leads to Gladness
The hope of the righteous ends in gladness,
but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.
Proverbs 10: 28

Light in the Darkness
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1: 5

The God of Hope
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Joyful Hope
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

Jesus our Hope
We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Heb 6, 19-20

A Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1: 3-5

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of any works or righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is sure.
Titus 3: 4-8a

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Connection to Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:

The Catholic Character Theme “Hope” relates to the following Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations:

1. A Discerning Believer Formed in the Catholic Faith Community who
CGE1a illustrates a basic understanding of the saving story of our Christian faith;
CGE1b participates in the sacramental life of the church and demonstrates an understanding of the centrality of the Eucharist to our Catholic story;
CGE1c actively reflects on God’s Word as communicated through the Hebrew and Christian scriptures;
CGE1d develops attitudes and values founded on Catholic social teaching and acts to promote social responsibility, human solidarity and the common good;
CGE1f seeks intimacy with God and celebrates communion with God, others and creation through prayer and worship;
CGE1g understands that one’s purpose or call in life comes from God and strives to discern and live out this call throughout life’s journey;
CGE1h respects the faith traditions, world religions and the life-journeys of all people of good will;
CGE1j recognizes that “sin, human weakness, conflict and forgiveness are part of the human journey” and that the cross, the ultimate sign of forgiveness is at the heart of redemption. (Witnesses to Faith)
   
2. An Effective Communicator who
CGE2e uses and integrates the Catholic faith tradition, in the critical analysis of the arts, media, technology and information systems to enhance the quality of life.
   
3. A Reflective and Creative Thinker who
CGE3a recognizes there is more grace in our world than sin and that hope is essential in facing all challenges;
CGE3b creates, adapts, evaluates new ideas in light of the common good;
CGE3c thinks reflectively and creatively to evaluate situations and solve problems;
CGE3e adopts a holistic approach to life by integrating learning from various subject areas and experience;
CGE3f examines, evaluates and applies knowledge of interdependent systems (physical, political, ethical, socio-economic and ecological) for the development of a just and compassionate society.
   
4. A Self-Directed, Responsible, Life Long Learner who
CGE4a demonstrates a confident and positive sense of self and respect for the dignity and welfare of others;
CGE4b demonstrates flexibility and adaptability;
CGE4c takes initiative and demonstrates Christian leadership;
CGE4d responds to, manages and constructively influences change in a discerning manner;
CGE4e sets appropriate goals and priorities in school, work and personal life;
CGE4g examines and reflects on one’s personal values, abilities and aspirations influencing life’s choices and opportunities;
   
5 A Collaborative Contributor who
CGE5b thinks critically about the meaning and purpose of work;
CGE5c develops one’s God-given potential and makes a meaningful contribution to society;
CGE5d finds meaning, dignity, fulfillment and vocation in work which contributes to the common good;
CGE5f exercises Christian leadership in the achievement of individual and group goals;
   
6. A Caring Family Member who
CGE6e ministers to the family, school, parish, and wider community through service.
   
7. A Responsible Citizen who
CGE7c seeks and grants forgiveness;
CGE7e witnesses Catholic social teaching by promoting equality, democracy, and solidarity for a just, peaceful and compassionate society;
CGE7i respects the environment and uses resources wisely;
CGE7j contributes to the common good.

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Related Concepts:
  • CERTAINTY
  • CHOICE
  • CONFIDENCE
  • CONVERSION
  • FAITH
  • FORWARD-LOOKING
  • FREEDOM/LIBERATION
  • GROWTH
  • INCLUSIVITY
  • JOY
  • JUSTICE
  • KINGDOM OF GOD
  • PATIENCE
  • PEACE
  • POSITIVE ATTITUDE
  • RECONCILING
  • RESURRECTION
  • TRANSFORMATION
  • TRUST

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Links to Online Resources:

The Vatican
http://www.vatican.va/

The official web site of the Vatican contains an impressive collection of materials with a useful internal search engine. See especially Pope Benedict XVI’s recent encyclical, Spes Salvi (Saved by Hope) at:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html

Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Theological Virtues
http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a7.htm#II
The Catechism presents the Church’s teaching on the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity here.

Homily of Pope Benedict XVI at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
April 19, 2008
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20080419_st-patrick-ny_en.html
Much of this homily is about hope for the beleaguered Church, not only in the USA, but throughout all of North America.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.cccb.ca/Home.htm?NL=1

The official web site of the CCCB contains extensive documentation, including recent media releases and publications, with a wide variety of useful links to other Church and Catholic organizations' web sites. See especially:
The Struggle Against Poverty: A Sign of Hope in our World at:  http://www.cccb.ca/site/content/view/769/996/lang,eng/ 
Living, Suffering and Dying…What For?  Statement from Catholic Office for Life and Family on care for the sick and dying for World day of the Sick, February 11, 2007 at: http://www.colf.ca/mamboshop/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=144&Itemid=209&lang=enc
Meditation on the Face of the Risen One at: http://www.cccb.ca/site/content/view/2070/1139/lang,eng/

Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.occb.on.ca/

The official web site of the OCCB contains extensive resources from the Catholic Bishops of Ontario as well as useful links to other Church and Catholic organizations' web sites. The Conference's jurisdiction over Ontario Catholic schools makes this site particularly relevant. 
See Ontario Bishops’ document Celebrating Education for Justice and Peace at:
http://www.occb.on.ca/englishweb/publications/celebrating.htm This document is addressed to high school students. It challenges them to work together in Christian hope to bring about significant positive change in the world.

Crossing the Threshold of Hope
http://www.catholic.net/RCC/POPE/HopeBook/toc.html

This web site contains the complete text of Pope John Paul II's best-selling book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, which is based on an interview with an Italian journalist, Vittorio Messori. The web site itself, Catholic.net, is the new, successor site to the Catholic Information Center on the Internet (CICI).

Catholic Net
http://www.catholic.net

This site lists church documents by subject and provides a rich cache of information on the Catholic faith in general.

“Act of Hope” Prayer for Children
http://catholicism.about.com/od/prayers/qt/Act_Hope.htm

This prayer is similar to the act of contrition, but focuses on hope.

A Place of Honour. Reaching out to Students at Risk in Ontario Catholic Schools
http://www.carfleo.org/Placeofhonour/A%20PLACE%20OF%20HONOUR%20FINAL.pdf
This 30 page resource is downloadable from www.carfleo.org.  Section on fostering Christian Hope for students at risk in Catholic schools  can be found on pages 21-23. Section is followed by a short series of questions which invite staff to reflect on their experience in light of the document’s contents. Suitable for PLCs, staff or senior administration meetings and work with Trustees. 

Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
http://www.devp.org
Development and Peace is the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ international development agency.  Catholic school involvement in D&P’s education, Fall Action, Share Lent and ongoing relief campaigns can unite a Catholic school community in activities for positive change that are rooted in hope. Their efforts can make a tremendous difference to the lives of persons in the global community who are most in need of our help.

See also D&P’s Just Youth section at: http://youth.devp.org/aframes.html

Catholic Theme: Hope
http://www.eoccc.org/csfcs/themes/hope.html
This web page explores the theme of Christian Hope, with related concepts and links to the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. Part of EOCCC Catholic school curriculum and activity development resource CD:  Curriculum Support for Catholic Schools 2.0.

Hope by Peter Kreeft
http://catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0018.html

This article, written in a Catholic apologetics style, explains how: "We creatures of time are constantly moving into the future, and our eyes are usually facing forward. Hope is like headlights."

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