March 17, 2025 – Day Eleven
Don’t confuse optimism with hope. Optimism is a psychological attitude toward life. Hope is also theological; God is there too.
~ Pope Francis
Ponder:
When have I found hope in the midst of grief?
Pray:
God of hope, remind me always of the psalmist who didn’t fear the “valley of death,” and fill me with that confidence and peace.
Reflection from Rosemary O’Toole, CSJ:
In Christian artistic tradition, the symbol of hope has been the anchor, the saving instrument of ships tossed around by the winds and waves on a stormy sea. When sailors throw the anchor overboard, and it grabs the solid sea floor below, it promises safety to the endangered crew. More than the anchor itself, the simple event of its being thrown over and its stabilizing effect on the ship is a fair image of the workings of hope.
As fragile human beings, we are tossed around by the winds and waves of the present moment. We need and want stability. We find it by tying ourselves to the anchor of hope. We drop deep into the theological virtue of hope and participate in the energy of God’s very own life within us.
In the practice of hope: Drop anchor. Surrender whatever is tossing us around and disturbing our peace. Repeat the surrender mantra several times throughout the day. Trust that we are dropping anchor into the very bottom of the Heart of God and securing ourselves to none other than the Triune God who is already there waiting for us… ready and actively alert to take charge and eager to restore us immediately to interior calm and peace. We can trust that whatever the outcome of our stressful decisions or situations, it will be according to God’s plan and God’s will.
“Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything.”
Excerpts used with permission from Twenty-Third Publications.