Hope

Gospel: Mt 9:27-31
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120624.cfm

At mass last Sunday, the priest said that one of the themes of Advent is to imagine what the world was like, particularly for the Jewish people, before the arrival of Jesus. There was the foretelling of the Messiah from the prophets. For those that heard that message and took it to heart, they went through periods of hope, denial, uncertainty, and frustration. The prophets that foretold the coming of Jesus, didn’t actually experience his arrival.

We all have some form of faith that if we take certain actions, we’ll receive a particular response. Like when we say “I love you” to a close family member, we expect that they will respond to us in kind. If they don’t, it can cause us to experience tension and doubt. We, as people of faith, can feel the same way about our faithful practices, such as prayer, service, and sharing our treasures. We can take those actions in hopes for particular outcomes. Sometimes we receive what we seek, other times we don’t. When we set expectations and if they don’t come to be, we are let down and can even question our faith and devotion.

At a higher–level, we can see the world overall in a cause and effect way. A month ago in the US, we had an election. There were a lot of predictions made about the election. Some predicted the candidate that got elected, but most of what was shared was that the other candidate was going to win. Those that put faith in the latter struggled with the outcome and needed to rethink how they saw the world or find answers as to why their prediction didn’t come to be. 

In today’s gospel, the two blind men put their faith in Jesus. I’m sure they had other times in their life too where they sought healing through other means and were let down. I’m sure they had strong moments of doubt and hope as we all do through cycles of doubt and hope. In their encounter with Jesus, their hope overcame their doubt. In this encounter, they received the healing that they sought. Given their struggle and their history, they couldn’t keep quiet and were driven to share it with others. Their faith brought them to Jesus who healed them.They, in turn, were compelled to share that hope with others.

In these winter months, it can be easy for us to get lost in the negative and lose hope on what’s around us. While this season is one of hope, it can just as easily be one of doubt. Some of us may be experiencing more hope at this time and others may experience more doubt. Are you currently experiencing doubt or are you more in a season of hope?

If you are in a season of hope, consider finding ways on how to share that with others. If you’re more in a season of doubt, find time to share with others and seek out activities that will help. Sometimes our moments of struggle can help equip us for others in their moment of need. Regardless of where you currently are, this is a season to connect and share with others. As the two healed men reached out to others, this is a season for us to share with others and come together to help each other in their time of need, celebrate the joy, and bring hope.

All is possible with God. Amen.