Liturgy of the Hours Increases Hope

For the past few weeks, I've been praying Morning and Evening Prayer from Liturgy of the Hours. I'm finding it gives me a big infusion of hope despite my pessimism for the future of the United States. Take today's Morning Prayer. The first psalm (87) reminds us that it's the Lord who builds the city and gives each of us our place in it. The psalm prayer harks back to Jesus weeping over Jerusalem,  "soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith." But Holy Mother Church doesn't leave us with that gloomy picture. She tells us, "He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful" leading us to "rejoice in [our] Church."

The Canticle (Isaiah 40) shows us the power of God "who rules by his strong arm." He is no tyrant like so many worldly leaders, but a loving God. "Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs." We have nothing to fear because it's He "Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea...Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth....Behold, the nations count as a drop of the bucket, as rust on the scales; the coastlands weigh no more than powder." Yes those blue "coastlands" on our eastern and western shores and all the nations of the earth "are as nought, as nothing and void he accounts them."

So, let us never stop fighting the Culture of Death, but neither should we let the state of the world get us down. As Psalm 99 and its antiphon remind us today, "The Lord is king....He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes....He is holy, full of power."

And for the faithful who persevere, "The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory."

God will never abandon us and so, "Let us joyfully cry out in thanks to God the Father whose love guides and nourishes his people." Amen!

If you need an infusion of hope, pray the Liturgy of the Hours. 

Got Hope? No? Check out this blog!

Despite all the bad news, I find myself filled with hope these days. Why? Because generations X and Y (the birth ages my kids fall into) are picking up the sword of the spirit, the word of God and fighting for the faith. Here's one delightful example, a blog started by my daughter-in-law Martina and a group of her Catholic Facebook Friends. The blog, Catholic Sistas, has numerous contributors, most Catholic mothers of young families.

They understand social media and are using it to spread the good news. They know how to network for good. They remind me of all the communities St. Paul wrote to wrapped up in one and joined electronically. Their blog covers all things Catholic. You find women celebrating big families and some mourning over infertility and child loss. They share serious issues and just for fun stuff. Some home school, some are working moms. They ask for prayer and they offer perspectives on faith issues. And they do it all with such style. The blog only started a few weeks ago and already they have had 5600 visitors, many leaving comments. What a wonderful support group these ladies are for each other and for women in the Church. They reflect the dignity of women Pope John Paul II talked about in his encyclical.

 

I am so proud of all my children who have unique gifts and talents that they use so well. And I'm proud of my younger, much younger, "sistas" in the Lord who I know will touch many minds and hearts through their on-line friendships.

 

Do yourself a favor and go mingle with the sistas awhile. It will renew your hope and lighten your heart.