Hope Will Rise

Hope stands as the second core value in support of my mission for humans to flourish through Catholic education (magnify is the first). From a catechetical standpoint, hope “is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, 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” (CCC, 1997, para. 1817). 

Jesus Christ, when He conquered sin and death through the Resurrection, made hope possible through His passion and death on the cross.

The Congregation of Holy Cross (CSC), who sponsors the University of Notre Dame and formed me for over 13 years, captures the virtue of hope through its motto, Ave Crux, Spes Unica, or "Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope." Members of the CSC operationalize hope through their ministries in education, parishes, and in service to those affected by poverty, oppression, and marginalization. 

More concretely, this value inspires steadfastness after a failure, defeat, or mistake. Similarly, hope acts as a key ingredient in the adoption of a growth mindset and the belief that through hard work and perseverance one can push past obstacles, overcome challenges, and find success. 

As a disciple with hope to bring to the world, I remain committed to advancing my mission despite setbacks and times of despair. 

I resolve to keep my eyes and heart fixed on Jesus whenever storms come - because they assuredly will.

Different from faith, which believes in something - or Someone - even without knowing or understanding everything about it, hope believes that something will take place in the future, even though it may seem improbable, doubtful, or even impossible. 

As such, faith fuels hope, giving it gas and feeding its fire. The more faith I have in the person of Jesus Christ, the more hope I can muster in moments of trial to do the right thing. The more faith I have in the Trinity, the more hope I can have that relationships will be healed. The more faith I have in the Paschal Mystery, the more hope I possess that new life - somehow - will burst forth from ashes. 

Hope may not be a strategy, but it can be the wings required for a grounded idea to lift off. 

Hope grows through constant contact with Christ through the daily reading of God's Word, frequent participation in the Sacraments, and surrounding yourself with like-minded and like-hearted disciples who can "encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

These tactics will foster hope and guard against discouragement, "the anesthetic the devil uses on a person just before he reaches in and carves out his heart” (Howard Hendricks). 

Because of the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ, hope will rise in our hearts, throughout our schools, and across the entire world...

...at least, I hope that it will.  

Ave Crux, Spes Unica.

"Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope!"