Hope accompanies us as we strive to do good
Faith gives us inner strength; hope, on the other hand, guides us in the performance of good works, without distinction of persons. In God’s cause, human good will and divine grace unite and find their justification “through the redemption achieved in Jesus Christ” (Rom 3:24).
Saint Gerard Majella learned to live each day in dialogue and communion with God. With a docile heart and a clear gaze, he understood and practiced the divine will, serving the Lord and his neighbour in justice and holiness. He was attentive to good, prompt in forgiveness, joyful in charity. He placed all his trust in the Lord, in whom he found “every grace and abundant redemption” (Ps 130).
The testimonies about Gerard attest to his profound conformity to God’s will: his human works were a visible sign of his union with the divine. And in the Kingdom of Beatitudes, goodness, the practice of justice, and mercy unite us in the same hope that does not disappoint. Hope is the “key” that opens the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven. This union with Christ makes us all brothers.
Following the example of this holy Brother, we know that good will brings peace on earth and that God rejoices in this human action (Luke 2:14). Likewise, the holy humanity of Christ has broken down the wall of separation, destroyed hatred, and made us heirs of divine consolation (Eph 2:14). And God the Father and the Holy Spirit are witnesses to this joyful and total redemption.
In Saint Gerard, hope is unity, peace, and harmony. As he himself said: “In God there is no confusion.”
Hope gives us conviction in faith and a taste for Christian service.
Brother José Mauro Maciel, CSsR.
