Session 1: What is hope

It’s easy to have hope when things are going well.  But what about in the hard times?  In this session, Pope Francis and the Apostle Paul will help us see how even suffering can lead us to hope.  Pope Francis begins his Jubilee Year document Spes Non Confundit with a translation of its Latin title: “Hope Does Not Disappoint.”  He then explores what hope is, where it comes from, and why we can have it.  The Christian life flourishes when it is grounded in hope.  Pope Francis reminds us why hope is possible even in the hard times.

Our study guide questions will help us explore how God’s love supports our hope and how Jesus Christ stands at the epicenter of God’s active love for the world.  Jesus Christ is the foremost reason why we can have hope and bring hope to our world.

Read paragraphs 1-4 in preparation for this session.

Paragraph 1 (hope)

What does “hope” mean to you?  How would you describe it?

In the second part of paragraph 1, Pope Francis says that “God’s word helps us find reasons” for hope.  How has God’s word helped you find a reason for hope?  Is there a particular passage from the Bible that has especially inspired or supported your hope?  If so, how does that passage speak to you?

How can hope make a difference in the lives of people we might encounter who are anxious, doubtful, discouraged, pessimistic, or cynical about the future?

Suggested Activity: 

• Take a few minutes to contemplate what life feels like to someone who is unemployed, dealing with a chronic illness, facing the fear of violence due to their background or heritage, discouraged as to whether there is any real hope for the future, etc.  Try to feel their pain.  Then consider whether there is something you could do for someone such as this – perhaps directly for someone you know, or by getting involved in a ministry in your parish or community (perhaps through Catholic Charities in your diocese or through another organization).

(Section 1) A word of hope

In this section, Pope Francis explores the biblical basis for the hope we have in God.

Paragraph 2 (a message of hope)

Read Romans 5:1-5

What does Paul tell us in Romans 5:1-2 that allows him to say that we have hope?

In verse 5, Paul says that hope does not disappoint us.  Why?  How would you explain verse 5 in your own words?

How have you experienced the love of God poured into your heart?

How does knowing that God loves you so much allow you to show greater love to others?

Paragraph 3 (hope is born of love)

In paragraph 3, why does Pope Francis say, “Hope is born of love”?  How does Romans 5:5 helps to explain this statement?

Note: In paragraph 3, the Scripture cited as coming from Romans 5:19 is actually Romans 5:10.

Read Romans 5:10

What is Jesus’s role in our being reconciled to God?

How does the fact that we are reconciled with God through Christ point us toward both inward and outward responses to God’s love?

How does Romans 5:10 support Pope Francis’s statement that hope is born of love?

How have you experienced God’s love giving you hope?

In the second part of paragraph 3, Pope Francis describes the action of the Holy Spirit in giving us hope.  What does he say the Holy Spirit does?

How does Romans 5:5 support this understanding of the Holy Spirit?

How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life?

Read Romans 8:35 and 8:37-39

How does Romans 8:35 and 8:37-39 expand our understanding of why we can live a life of hope?

Paragraph 4 (patience)

Knowing that we all face times of suffering, Pope Francis point us to Romans 5:3-4.

Read Romans 5:3-4

Paul tells us that even suffering can lead to hope.  He describes it as a multi-step process.  What are the steps he sees that lead from suffering to hope?

Think about the sequence of steps Paul suggests: suffering  endurance  character  hope.  Everyone is unique and not everyone experiences things in exactly the same way, but Paul’s analysis can still useful.

How might people experience suffering as a process that leads to hope?

In the rest of paragraph 4 (including part 2 of paragraph 4) Pope Francis explains that patience is closely linked to hope.  Why is patience so important in the cultivation of hope?

When Pope Francis says that patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, he is referring to Galatians 6:22-23.

Pope Francis cites St. Francis of Assisi in reminding us of the value of contemplation, including the contemplation of creation.  How might making time for contemplation help us deal with our impatience?  How might contemplation help us manage the cultural demands that treat everything as “urgent” and in need of immediate response?

How might you make contemplation a more central part of your life?

Suggested Activities: 

• Spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation each day.  You might find it helpful to find a good guide to contemplation from a respected Catholic or Christian author.

• Read and contemplate a portion of the New Testament each day.  One way to approach the meditation of Scripture is through the practice of lectio divina.

Read Galatians 6:22-23

Paul is telling us that God the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the patience we need to endure patiently the sufferings we face.  How does this make you feel, knowing that God wants to give you what you need to go from suffering to hope?

How have you experienced suffering leading to hope in your life?

In the second part of paragraph 4, Pope Francis quotes from a translation of Romans 15:5 that says that God is characterized by patience (“the God of all patience and encouragement”).  Where do you see God’s patience in your life or in the lives of others?  How does that give you hope?