Out of my distress, I called on the LORD.
The LORD answered me with freedom.
-Psalm 118, WEBBE
There is something within us that rebels whenever we are prevented from doing something. The human spirit, it seems, does not want to be restrained, but yearns to be free. Free to do as we wish, free to roam as we desire.
Yet even the highest of freedoms do not free us from the consequences of our choices. When we choose one door, we reject another. When we choose to be bound in one direction, we reject the freedom to go the other way.
Which paths then shall we choose? In which shall we truly be free?
Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? . . . No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. – Pope Benedict XVI
The thing about hope is that it’s a positive force that shines the most when it’s dark. When everything’s going well, we hardly notice it’s there. But when things go against us, when our dreams fade and when we see no immediate reprieve from our troubles, that’s when hope does its best work for us.
"Where Hope Can Be Found"