31 January 2015
Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
In his encyclical letter, Spe Salvi – in hope we were saved – Pope Benedict XVI says, “Faith is the substance of hope. But then the question arises: do we really want this—to live eternally? Perhaps many people reject the faith today simply because they do not find the prospect of eternal life attractive. What they desire is not eternal life at all, but this present life, for which faith in eternal life seems something of an impediment.” Basically, in this encyclical letter, the Pope criticizes the modern of idea of hope that always means there is a man-made answer to cure all human dissatisfaction. The modern idea of hope not only means that our future will be better but also it “hopes” we will eliminate all suffering and attain a complete happiness in this world. Pope Benedict shows that without God, it is impossible to give men and women any hope for themselves. We hope in the Christian sense to see God “face to face.” “Faith in Christ, it became customary to depict the Lord returning as a king—the symbol of hope,” says Pope Benedict.
In the scripture reading today we hear “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Do we have faith for eternal life that we are hoping for? Do we believe that there is no hope outside the resurrection of Jesus Christ?