July 28 The Heart of St. Paul
At the core of his being, Paul is a man filled with hope. It does not matter what crisis he faces, he never loses hope. He tells the Romans: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Rom 5:3-5)
Endurance, character and hope are all related. Endurance is a certain persistence is carrying out God’s will over the long haul, no matter what obstacles appear along the way. Character is the personal attitude formed by our daily committment to God’s will. It shapes all our thoughts and actions. Hope is the trust that God has created us for a special purpose on this earth and through our faith in Him, we trust that what God has started in us he is going to complete in us if we allow him to work.
Hope is both a gift and a virtue. It has to be daily cultivated in our lives if we are not to be overwhelmed by the things we face in the world. When human beings face a certain situation that is going to require a sacrifice of some kind, they will inevitably ask themselves this question: “Is it worth it?” The question we may ask ourselves everyday is “Is loving and serving Jesus Christ worth it?” Paul’s answer is YES, it is worth it, because we are not in it alone. The Holy Spirit is always with us, even in our darkest hour, telling us: God will care for you. He will protect you. He will finish what he started in you , if you don’t lose hope.
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