The Virtue of Hope: Letter from the Associate Director
Dear Friend of Saint Jude,
My name is Brother Martin Davis, O.P., and I have joined Father Gabriel Gillen, O.P, at the Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude. I am humbled by the opportunity to serve such a dedicated group of pious men and women who share a deep devotion for Saint Jude and the Catholic Faith.
Over the past months, we have faced a whole variety of difficult challenges. These challenges have laid bare the brokenness of our world, our society, and even ourselves. In the midst of such brokenness, we can gain a new appreciation for the theological virtue of hope.
The Catechism says that hope is the virtue “by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness.” This supernatural desire makes for powerful patience, endurance, and joy in the midst of trials.
We can see this on a natural level when we consider the intense desire of hard-working athletes, musicians, students, and so forth. When athletes really desire to run the race well, they are able to endure all sorts of difficulties for the sake of the goal.
The same is true for the theological virtue of hope. If we fervently desire the kingdom of heaven, trials and tribulations will become easier to endure. This does not mean that the trials we face are not real problems or something to be taken lightly, but it does mean that a person fully immersed in God’s saving grace has a tool at his or her disposal for pressing on to eternal victory.
The virtue of hope sometimes does not get the full attention it deserves. In the midst of our current
problems, it might be worth incorporating prayers for hope into our routine. For example:
Know that you are in my prayers,
Br. Martin Davis, O.P.
Associate Executive Director
Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude