Opening a Door Called Hope

in January, 2025

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Many of you may remember that the month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, transitions, and endings.

As we are gradually moving into the Year of the Lord, 2025, I want to reflect on Hope. It’s not the first time I have written a blog entry about HOPE. It’s an ongoing theme in my life.

I would like to share with you an excerpt from an article that appeared in the National Catholic Reporter in their November 23 – December 5, 2024 edition. It was written by the NCR Editorial Staff and is titled: “Hope in Time of Darkness.”

 “We need hope. Hope begets hope. Remember, we are people of hope. We grow in hope by embracing interdependency and connectedness, leaning on each other when we falter, and offering a hand when we see the need. Our hope is not rooted in some fleeting optimism, but in the enduring truths of our faith grounded in the Gospels, which teach boundless love and the core belief that darkness does not have the last word.”

The editorial writers suggest three points:
Gratitude, Community, Prayer

• Defeating despair requires inward resilience, which involves cultivating a sense of gratitude. Even in darkness. Especially in darkness. Each recognition of thanksgiving reminds us of the basic goodness that persists and permeates life, even amid struggles.
   
• Our connections to others strengthen us. We are not alone. Our relationships with friends, family, and community create a critical support network. By reaching out, sharing burdens, and offering mutual support, we bolster our abilities for collective resilience.

• Mindfulness, meditation, and prayer ground us, bring us back to the present moment and help us manage fears of the unknown. They foster calm, steady resolve and empower us to face the future with clarity and peace.

As active witnesses of justice and mercy, we will transform darkness into light and weakness into strength for ourselves and others.                                                                                     

“Every act of love, every gesture of kindness and healing builds the nation that, for now, seems to elude us.”

NCR Editorial Board, Nov. 23 – Dec. 5, 2024 edition.

Hope is not a mere feeling. Hope is a choice we make every day. When we choose hope, we embody the essence of our Judea-Christian calling – a calling to be agents of change and witnesses of the love our nation so desperately needs, now more than ever. 

It’s all the little moments in our day to be grateful; someone thanks us, someone holds the door for us, a neighbor throws a wave. We watch toddlers enjoying life on the playground. A beautiful sunrise or sunset. The full moon. The list is endless if only we are alert and attentive…

Let me close with the closing lines of Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb.” Amanda spoke this to us just four years ago at President Joe Biden’s Inauguration (Jan. 20, 2024.)

“…when the day comes we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”

With Hope and Light,

Bridget