We proclaim a message of hope to the world
by Sister Elise Cholewinski
Last January, as the Christmas season drew to a close, I dismantled our tree and put all my decorations away for another year. A little later, as I looked around my room, I discovered an ornament still hanging from a floor lamp that stands by the chair where I pray each morning. At that moment I was tired and decided just to leave it there. It has been hanging there ever since. It consists of four letters attached to one another, and together they spell the word, “HOPE”.
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Now that I look back, there was a reason why I kept that ornament on display all year. In terms of the pandemic, political warfare, and the escalation of racism, the one thing the world needed this year was hope. As I observed the responses of people during the events of this year, I have witnessed many sparks of hope in this time of crisis. Beginning a new liturgical year, we enter into the season of Advent, a season of hope. In the darkest month of the year we light the candles, one at a time, on our Advent wreaths. As we do so, we are reminded that we are called to be signs of hope in the gloom that surrounds us. For me, maybe the time has finally come to put that ornament away and to personally spell out the word by being more fully the image of Christ Incarnate. |
Thanks,Elise. You continue to give us hope.