“Once you choose hope, anything's possible.”

”When we have once placed ourselves entirely in the hands of God, we need apprehend no evil; if adversity comes, He knows how to turn it to our advantage, by means which will in time be manifested to us.” - Saint Vincent de Paul: (1581 – 1660: French Roman Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor)

Gospel Text: (Mt 9:27-31)

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

What do you hope for?  For many of us I suspect the litany would likely include good health, wealth and happiness.  Maybe your hope is to finally lose a few pounds and get back in shape or that your friend’s cancer would go into remission, that you have a few less bills to pay each month or that you can be a better friend or spouse to those you love.  All are certainly valid but should not our number one hope and prayer be that we have a better, deeper relationship with Christ and that our faith will continue to grow stronger each and every day? 

As we begin to settle into the joy filled season of Advent and prepare to welcome Jesus back into our lives, let’s find a quiet time to pray each day; and when we pray let’s not only reflect on who we are and how we treated others but, better yet, start our prayers with a request that God, first and foremost help to strengthen our faith and understanding in the power of his love for us.  Then we can truly share in the joy that is found in this Advent season and in the hope of Christ’s Second Coming.