Fr. Justin Braun: The Virtue of Hope (2019)

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By Fr. Justin Braun, Catholic East Texas, Aug. 15, 2019

Hold Your Head high

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said, “One who has hope lives differently.” If you think about it, he’s exactly right. Whether your hope is in something or someone in this world or has its proper meaning as a theological virtue, your life is lived differently. Sometimes this looks like whimsical optimism, a smile despite the rain and clouds, and sometimes it is seen in the beauty of a crowd of beleaguered and all-too-accustomed-to-loss fans rooting for their team amid a ninth-inning comeback. To witness hope in its fullest sense is to see the face of the martyr as he is led to his death.

When we are challenged to “hold our head high” we are often being asked to suffer without complaining, to persevere despite adversity; and yet our focus on the virtue of hope may get lost while “holding our head high.”  …

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