Hope: Spend 5 with Jesus: March 12, 2023

We boast in hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. The world needs hope. There is no doubt about it. All around us we see brokenness. All around us there are broken relationships, violence, war and poverty. Fortunately this season of Lent reminds us there is reason to hope. And it is not a type of foolishness. We are well aware of the difficulties and challenges, including poverty that have always existed. It is not even a personal foolishness where we see that sin will no longer be a part of our lives. We know what we are and who we are. And both can be answered by the acknowledgement that we are beloved sons and daughters of God. Just as those who will come into the Church at baptism will be beloved sons and daughters, so too are we now. It is not that it is because we work hard, have put in a lot of effort, or even that we have done limitless numbers of good works to earn it. No, that is not the case. Rather, it is the case that we have responded to God's grace by simply accepting him into our lives, accepting the gift of salvation he wants all to accept. And that is enough for us to have hope.