Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.- St. Francis of Assisi
There are times when we become disheartened as we look at what is happening around us. We hear how the world is losing its faith. We encounter people who make it more and more difficult to believe how the future could still be brighter and happier.
Let us keep our courage however. Though we think we are alone, we are not at all on our own. Though we think we can do so little, God can still do so much as He makes us instruments of His love.
Change can begin from within ourselves. It begins when we refuse to lose hope no matter how dark things seem to be. It begins when we forgive and when we become channels of mercy to those around us.
We may not see now how our little deeds can change the world. But let us trust God. He is the One who multiplies five loaves of bread so it can feed thousands. He is the One who receives every little sacrifice we make so He can bless so many others along the way.
“Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” -Genesis 22:16-18, NRSVCE
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"