The psalm we sing on Fridays at Compline ends

“Be strong, let your heart take courage, all who hope in the LORD.”     (Psalm 31(30): 25 Abbey Psalter)

I enjoy feeling built up by the strength this psalm imparts. In the English Standard Version (ESV) the same verse reads: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” This shows the strong link between hoping and waiting.

As St Paul says, we do not hope for things we already possess: “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” (Romans 8:24 ESV).

True hope is the confident expectation of something we do not already have, it is waiting with assurance that we will receive what has been promised. When we say something like “I hope the weather will be good for our holiday next month”, then this is not true hope in the sense I am talking about. In this case we cannot be confident, in the UK at least, that good weather can be predicted so far ahead. Christian hope is “The confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God.” (CCC 2090).

Jesus showed us this hope throughout this life; it is evident when he is working miracles. For example, just before calling Lazarus back from the dead he prayed confidently to the Father, “I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me…” (John 11: 41-42 ESV), displaying his belief that his prayer will be heard and answered. And in the Letter to the Hebrews we read “for the joy that was set before him [Jesus] endured the cross, despising the shame”. (Hebrews 12:2 ESV). This joy which Jesus knew, and which supported and upheld him through his Passion and death, was a strong underpinning force in his life, and arose from the hope he had in God the Father.

Meditating on hope this week, it struck me that the scenes at the Vatican on 8 May, when the election of Pope Leo XIV was declared to the world, are a strong sign of hope acting in our world today. The Cardinal protodeacon (Dominique Mamberti) announced from the balcony “Annuncio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam” – “I announce to you news of great joy: we have a Pope.” As the name of Robert Francis Prevost was declared, there was great cheering among the crowds, the cardinals on the adjoining balconies were smiling, and there was a great crescendo of jubilation when the new Pope emerged to greet and bless the people of Rome and of the world.

Yet many of those in the square probably did not know very much about Cardinal Robert Prevost. Perhaps they had not even known his name. What is being seen here is an expression of the hope that the Church has in the goodness and bounty of God. We hope that God will give us many good things and blessings through the Pope he has chosen.

Leo XIV also showed this hope in his first message, saying “God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail!” He is articulating the hope that we all have, that is ours by virtue of our Christian faith. The Pope continued, exhorting us to manifest this hope in our lives, saying “All of us are in God’s hands. So, let us move forward, without fear, together, hand in hand with God and with one another other!” We are able to move forward without fear because of our trust and hope in God.

So in this Jubilee year of hope, let us pray that God will continue to give us the grace and confidence to express our hope in God, in the joy and bliss that is to come, and to let others see the hope that we have. As the First Letter of St Peter says “In your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (I Peter 3:15 ESV)