Hope's Special Language

In his little gem treatise on Hope, Pope Francis goes quite out on a limb. He says, “Now, this is my opinion, but women are more courageous than men.” (On Hope, 56) Then he proceeds to remind us of the story of Judith, who saved her people when they were absolutely desperate. Before she cuts off the head of the invading general, Judith rebukes the Jewish leadership for their lack of trust in God. Her language is interesting.


What Judith says gives us a clue to how hope talks. She tells them their horizon of possibility is too narrow, and that their fear is paralyzing them. Then she shakes her head at the fact that they have given God five days to respond to their need. She says no to setting limits on God and hemming him in, tempting him and giving ourselves the chance of escaping his will. God saves, she says…and this can mean deliverance, or it can mean death. But God saves. This is hope talking.


In the midst of our ongoing journey and our waiting, we, as a community of sisters and associates, need to let our hope speak. God saves. How, we do not know, for at times his plan is impenetrable, and at times we think death is our only option. But God saves. Women (and men!) of faith know this, so we do not set conditions. We refuse to let fear strangle us. We enter into God’s plan without demanding anything, and we accept that his salvation and help might come to us in ways we never expected.

Yes, we ask God for life, for health, for a future, but even as we do this, we know that God can bring life out of death, peace even in sickness, calm even in loneliness, and happiness even in tears. We do not instruct God about what God must do. God knows this better than we, and often God’s ways are not our ways.


The language of hope, then, is trustful, faithful, patient, and obedient. This may be the struggle of the human Jesus in the garden. Did he sweat because he had to bring his human will around to this? Maybe we will need to sweat to do the same. Yes, we do whatever is in our power, but we too remaining steady in the furrow of God’s will. This is hope’s language…and in learning it well ourselves, we will be able to speak it when another needs to hear it. We are women and men of the Word…a word of hope.