The Risen Christ Radically Sets Us Free

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I have two reflections on hope for you today. The writing styles are very different, but the messages from both were too good not to share.

1. A reflection on hope for all Christians from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

May the jubilant voice of the Church reach all of you with the words which the ancient hymn puts on the lips of Mary Magdalene, the first to encounter the risen Jesus on Easter morning. She ran to the other disciples and breathlessly announced: “I have seen the Lord!” (Jn 20:18). We too, who have journeyed through the desert of Lent and the sorrowful days of the Passion, today raise the cry of victory: “He has risen! He has truly risen!”

Every Christian relives the experience of Mary Magdalene. It involves an encounter which changes our lives: the encounter with a unique Man who lets us experience all God’s goodness and truth, who frees us from evil not in a superficial and fleeting way, but sets us free radically, heals us completely and restores our dignity. This is why Mary Magdalene calls Jesus “my hope”: he was the one who allowed her to be reborn, who gave her a new future, a life of goodness and freedom from evil. “Christ my hope” means that all my yearnings for goodness find in him a real possibility of fulfillment: with him I can hope for a life that is good, full and eternal, for God himself has drawn near to us, even sharing our humanity. [...]

Dear brothers and sisters! If Jesus is risen, then—and only then—has something truly new happened, something that changes the state of humanity and the world. Then he, Jesus, is someone in whom we can put absolute trust; we can put our trust not only in his message but in Jesus himself, for the Risen One does not belong to the past, but is present today, alive.

2. A reflection on hope from The Catholic's Guide to Being Single

Driving out self-pity is essential [in this Easter season]. Living fully where you are right now as a single person is a gift. Think about it. This moment was given to you by God for a reason, to do what you can for Him in the present. You will be able to do other things for Him when you marry and have a family. So focus on the here and now, now.

For as St. Therese says,

“The value of our life does not depend on the place we occupy. It depends on the way we occupy that place."

And as Padre Pio says,

“You can’t give God deadlines.”

No one likes deadlines. They can cause panic as people rush here and there to get everything done. God doesn’t like deadlines either. Take comfort in the waiting-for-marriage world that you find yourself a part of—God will send us a spouse at the right time and place.

We must always be “Called to Hope,” as Emily Stimpson says:

“No matter how old we are, if we believe we’re called to the vocation of marriage, we can never stop hoping God will send the right someone along. Maybe we can stop expecting, but we can never stop hoping. …Despair is not our friend. Hope is our friend. Hope is what gets us through a string of bad dates or a stretch of none at all. Hope is what keeps us going after a breakup or when we feel like the last single person standing. Hope is what allows us to trust that God really does know what He’s doing."

For some people being hopeful comes naturally. For others, it is a real challenge. If you find you are having trouble, start small. When a negative thought comes into your head, do not give it space. Instead force yourself to see a positive in the same situation, no matter how small it may be. By doing this continuously, we start to change our thought patterns and outlook on life.

At the end of each day, write everything down—this is a great way to track your progress. Look over what you wrote down—can you identify certain areas of your life that you are having trouble with? Can a past hurt be causing these negative thoughts? Can a spiritual advisor, counselor, or trusted friend help you work out some of these emotions?

Happy Easter from all of us at CatholicMatch!

 

 

 

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