A 4th Sunday after Pentecost Thought About Our Blessed Mother

This Sunday's thoughts about Our Blessed Mother focus on "Holy Hope." 

It's not the first time we've seen Holy Hope pop up on our radar. But today we'll see how Mary is Mother of Holy Hope. We again turn to Father Edward Leen as our guide.

First whatever we know or don't know about Holy Hope, let's establish it's importance. At first blush, even if we're familiar with the term, it may not seem so important. Maybe we don't really see what makes it "holy" as opposed to, well, regular old hope.

But if we start with the fact that Hope is one of the Three Theological Virtues - Faith, Hope, and Charity - that should get us a bit closer to a realization that this must be important.

Of course, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. And simply knowing the Three Theological Virtues can find us tucking these away in our mental "treasure chest" of items we know about our Catholic Religion, but hardly ever pay much attention to.

Hence the danger.

That treasure chest needs to be opened not simply from time to time, but on a regular basis. If we've stored something there that's gathering dust, it's time to not simply dust it off, but place it on a mantle in our soul and allow it to penetrate our thoughts, words, and deeds each day. And if our Theological Virtues have gathered dust, well, we know what to do now.

This may be especially true for Hope. It's likely easier for us to latch on to Faith and Charity, to understand what they mean and what is entailed in practicing these virtues. But the important of hope may possible be not so obvious.

It is this that Father Leen will address today. Let's give him a good attentive read. Indeed, with Father Leen's writing, it is always rich enough to take in slowly, then re-read one or more times.

Like a fine gourmet meal, we want to savor each bite.  

    “Mary is the Mother of Holy Hope. Why of Holy Hope? It seems as if but few realize the extraordinary importance of Holy Hope in the spiritual life. This may seem a rather unimportant virtue. They consider it of less importance than that of her theological virtues of Faith and Charity, and the least practical of the three in the handling of daily life. Why is this? There are few who in their daily lives act sustainedly in the virtue of Hope. We act in Faith and in a certain measure in Charity. Why is it so difficult to act in Hope? Hope is a tending towards an object that is distant, an object not yet acquired, and possibly in itself extremely difficult of attainment. Our tending towards the object is sustained and buoyed up by the consciousness that we have at our disposal means which will help us to attain it. 
    “What is the object, distant and difficult to attain, of the virtue of Hope? What can be more difficult of attainment to the creature than God? Only God can reach God. Is it not an extraordinary thing that a creature should aspire to such a goal, aspire to reach God, to rise to that power, that activity, which will put it in possession of God, and that even here and now? We may ask ourselves how many people, in the ordinary activities of daily life, press on in the hope of coming thereby to God. We hope to reach him in prayer, but do we seek to find Him in our ordinary daily duties – in teaching a class, in sweeping a room, in working at the sewing machine? In these activities, do we act in the way of Hope? Do we realize that in these things we can tend continually towards God, so that there need be no moment of life, no activity, no duty, in which we are not tending towards Him. We act in Faith. We act in Charity. Why do we not act in Hope?” (Fr. Edward Leen, C.S.Sp.)
 

Happy 4th Sunday after Pentecost!