Alexander Pope famously wrote in his poem, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast … The soul, uneasy, and confin’d from home, rests and expatiates in a life to come.” This is much like Christian hope. It is that fervent desire and confidence that what we expect will happen. Now, this is not about our wishful thinking like winning the lottery. It’s rather the kind of hope the Israelites had while languishing in exile. Through prophets like Isaiah in today’s reading, they retained their fervent desire and confident expectation that they would one day return to their homeland. They believed that in the future, a shoot would spring from the stump of Jesse, and that his reign would bring lasting peace and prosperity, not just for them but also for others. And their hope was fulfilled. Jesus tells his disciples how blessed they are to witness what many Israelites, kings and prophets hoped for but never witnessed. So, like the Israelites, we too, no matter how low we have fallen, must hold onto hope. And may our hope spring eternal.

Prayer: Father of hope, grant that our hope may never fail, but always sustain us, even in the darkest moments. Amen.