March 13, 2025 – Day Nine
Reality is grim; there are so many people who are suffering, so many wars, so much hate, so much envy, so much spiritual worldliness, and so much corruption.
~ Pope Francis
Ponder:
Am I prone to discouragement and a sense of uselessness? How can I hold on to my hope?
Pray:
God of hope, keep reminding me of the strength of your hope in me, so that I may share the light of that hope always.
Reflection from Megan Postin:
Feeling discouraged feels a bit like a national pastime these days, especially when faced with a seemingly endless stream of bad news. Still there is a place for hope, no matter how small. The gift of hope that we receive from God is such that it doesn’t require effort from us to receive it. Rather, it is a blessing that we have the opportunity to embrace. Some days, we are able to submerge ourselves in that hope completely, to be truly supported in the goodness of the gift. And some days the best we can do is view it as a far off glimmer. Our relationship to hope in no way diminishes it, and in its eternalness it is always beckoning us back. The best we can do is turn always to that light, and point others to the light of hope, no matter how small the spark. This light of hope is always there, even in the darkness of discouragement.
Excerpts used with permission from Twenty-Third Publications.