By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor
A widower sat on a memorial bench in the Mary garden of his parish after Mass this past Sunday, praying the rosary aloud, oblivious to the damp, dreary weather. A parishioner, preparing to leave the church parking lot after the children’s Christmas pageant, approached the widower to offer a hug, which the widower accepted with a smile. One small example of how to shed the light of hope as “we await the blessed hope, the appearance of our great God and savior Jesus Christ …” (Titus 2:11-14, The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas): Night).
Hope, peace, joy and love are the four themes interwoven in our observance of Advent, as we await the celebration of the birthday of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is our blessed hope. We nurture our hope in faith, celebrated in our faith community in the liturgy, in our personal relationship with Christ, and in our commitment to engage in thoughtful, intentional interactions with others.
As we approach Christmas, Pope Francis will inaugurate Jubilee Year 2025 on Dec. 24 to “fan the flame of hope.” Every diocese will celebrate the solemn opening of the Jubilee Year with Mass on Dec. 29. In the papal document announcing the Jubilee Year (“Spes Non Confudit,” “Hope Does Not Disappoint”), the pope says we need to “abound in hope,” to “bear credible and attractive witness to the faith and love that dwell in our hearts …”
He calls us to demonstrate joyful faith and enthusiastic charity. By doing so, “each of us may be able to offer a smile, a small gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed, in the knowledge that, in the Spirit of Jesus, these can become, for those who receive them, rich seeds of hope.” Let this be our Christmas gift to Christ, to the people whose paths we cross, and to ourselves.
Pope Francis identifies people on the peripheries who need us to be “tangible signs of hope.” Here are some ideas:
- Provide a hand up for people experiencing hardships. Do you know individuals or families struggling at work or school? Do you know of a family at risk of losing their home or unable to put food on the table? Do you know of someone trying to cope with the loss of a loved one or going through separation or divorce? How might you be a tangible sign of hope through your time, talents or treasure?
- Visit people who are sick, at home or in the hospital. “Their sufferings can be allayed by the closeness and affection of those who visit them,” Pope Francis says. Even during this hectic time of preparation and celebration, we can sacrifice time and make it a gift through a visit.
- Show gratitude to “healthcare workers who, often in precarious conditions, carry out their mission with constant care and concern for the sick and for those who are most vulnerable,” the Holy Father says.
- Give inclusive attention to people “who experience their own weaknesses and limitations, especially those affected by illnesses or disabilities that severely restrict their personal independence and freedom,” Pope Francis says. “Care given to them is a hymn to human dignity, a song of hope that calls for the choral participation of society as a whole.”
- Demonstrate care and concern for “adolescents, students and young couples, the rising generation. Let us draw close to the young, for they are the joy and hope of the Church and of the world!” Pope Francis says.
- Welcome the stranger. “Exiles, displaced persons and refugees, whom international tensions force to emigrate in order to avoid war, violence and discrimination, ought to be guaranteed security and access to employment and education, the means they need to find their place in a new social context,” the Holy Father says.
- Bring encouragement to people who are elderly; they may be feeling lonely and abandoned.
- Advocate for establishment of a global fund that “can finally put an end to hunger and favor development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory situations,” Pope Francis says.
Our tangible signs of hope “as we await the blessed hope …” can begin as simply as a warm hug for a grieving widower.
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org
