How did Mother Mary strengthen her virtue of hope, making it easier for her to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and fulfill God’s plan and will in her life?
As we begin today’s retreat, let us revisit the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1817) regarding the definition of “hope”: “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness”
The “happiness” mentioned here can also be understood as the things we long for. Therefore, the intensity of our desire for the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life is directly related to whether we truly possess the virtue of hope.
The Catechism further explains “hope” as follows: “placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
This explanation clearly shows us that there are two essential conditions for having “hope”! We must build this theological virtue on these two “foundations”!
The first is that our hope should not be placed in anything else but in the promises of Christ. We reflected on this in yesterday’s retreat.
Our hope should not be built on human assurances or worldly guarantees, no matter how much they may satisfy our earthly needs.
For example, patients with critical illnesses should not place all their hope solely in medical advancements. Likewise, people in a troubled society should not solely rely on a new government to resolve all social problems, and so on. These are not the true source of our hope.
Instead, the promise of Christ is as indispensable to us as an “anchor” to a ship or a “cornerstone” to a building.
The second necessary condition is that we must not rely on our own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. We see this virtue exemplified in the Blessed Virgin Mary. When the Angel Gabriel announced God’s plan to her, she asked: “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel responded: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.”
You can imagine, with the limited wisdom of human beings, how could Mary fully comprehend this profound revelation? Therefore, we can infer that her faith didn’t equate to full understanding, but instead, it showed her trust in God and the Holy Spirit.
This shows that she did not rely on her limited human understanding to comprehend God’s mysterious plan for her. Therefore, Mary did not argue with the angel, but responded to God’s invitation readily with humility and obedience. She also didn’t use her own abilities or methods to resolve the crisis of unwed pregnancy，which was considered a mortal sin punishable by death at the time. Instead, she followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit and went to visit Elizabeth.
Notice that the Holy Spirit did not abandon Mary to face difficulties alone. Rather, God sent an angel to appear to Joseph in a dream and revealed the truth behind the events, paving the way for Mary to fulfill God’s plan for her.
Mary’s humility and trust in God enabled her to confidently and boldly obey God’s will and fulfill God’s plan for her.
The example of the Virgin Mary perfectly exemplifies the essence of hope, as expressed in the Book of Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 23, which was quoted by the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) (cf. CCC 1817)
Reflection
Do you rely on your human wisdom to understand God’s invitation and what is happening to you before responding with faith?
When you cannot see the way forward, do you hesitate or refuse to take the next step? Can you learn the spirit of trust and surrender from Our Lady?
Among the virtues of humility, trust, and obedience, which do you still need to cultivate in order to grow in the virtue of hope?
Today’s Prayer
Abba Father, today, I recognized my attachments. I am attached to understanding why things happen in my life, and I insist on having things done my way. I realize that there were many things I wanted to control, but there were very few things I was willing to surrender to You.
Thank You for allowing me to know myself better today, to recognize my weaknesses, my attachments, and my lack of trust in You. This realization humbles me! How could I treat You this way, despite all that You have done for me?
Please grant me a repentant heart, willing to humbly admit my mistakes and acknowledge my limitations. Help me to rely not on my own wisdom and ability, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Please accept my contrite heart, and teach me to follow Your holy will.
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