Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not … disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (St. Paul: Romans 5)
The Hope Does Not Disappoint Conference (approximately 85 minutes) begins with a reading according to St. Mark (0 – 4 minutes) and will be referenced during the conference. Earlier in the day at Mass, St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans was read referencing the passage above. Both the Gospel and St. Paul’s passage are discussed in the conference.
This Spiritual Insight begins by diving deeper into St. Paul’s passage. Affliction gives rise to endurance. Endurance produces quality of character. Quality of character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint. This is totally contrary to the eyes of the world. In the eyes of the world: affliction gives rise to pain; to feeling miserable; to exhaustion; to frustration and to lack of patience. Affliction, in the eyes of the world, gives rise to a diminished sense of self and a diminished value of our lives.
St. Paul, however, says affliction gives rise to endurance. How is that even possible? Because St. Paul is talking in the light of faith. Often times we exclusively focus on why we feel bad and all that we see is the affliction. The world says “I am afflicted and it is a time of struggle”. If we focus exclusively on our affliction, then it is only pain; it is reduced to suffering, and nothing more.
When we have faith and we bring faith to bear on our afflictions, the light of real faith shows us that there is more here than being afflicted. There is more here than just suffering. Because the “more” is not a thing, but the more is a person. Christ is with me! The endurance St. Paul speaks about then is an endurance in the presence of Christ; in the light of Christ and in unity with Christ! The more affliction I experience, the greater my unity must become with Christ. Not that the affliction goes away! But that the affliction does not overcome me and that I can move through it! It is this endurance through the light of faith, which is more than just gritting my teeth and just surviving. This endurance teaches me patience. It teaches me humility. It teaches sensitivity. It improves my character. And through one’s affliction and endurance and humility and sensitivity, one can look at others differently as they experience afflictions.
Affliction and endurance in the presence and in union with Christ changes the heart! Faith looking at Christ allows patience to root itself. Faith allows us to not focus and be dominated by the affliction; to recognize there is something more here, in being in the presence of the Lord. As our hearts recognize this, we search for something more, for something better! This gives us a firm foundation for hope.
Hope then is looking for something greater, for something more. In the Gospel, Jesus performed a healing as part of another movement. What we’ll find is the grace we receive, the wellness we receive, is likely part of a larger movement. Part of something greater that the Lord is doing! What does that mean and how it is important to us all!
This hope discussion does not just apply to those who are sick. The endurance and hope also applies to those that care and love the sick, as Father points out when he discusses St. Mark’s Gospel passage: the dad had confidence that our Lord would offer the grace needed for his daughter to be well. Not just healed. But to be well. The audio elaborates on this distinction.
Real Christian hope is not just about the grace for me. It is for the hoping of good things on behalf of others. This is what it means to pray for other family members or friends.
Fr. Hugh also discusses what the dad asks of our Lord to help his sick, and near death, daughter. What did the dad ask of our Lord? Healing? No! We often miss this when we pray for others. What we ask for and our confidence in the Lord matters greatly.
