Lending Hope

A Reflection on the Psalm for March 8th, 2020:
​Second Sunday of Lent

Psalm 33

R. Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.

​The word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. 

R. Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.

Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 

R. Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. 

R. Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

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“We lend people our hope, Aurea.” 

These wise words were spoken to me by a colleague when I was serving as a hospital chaplain. I took this short simple phrase to heart. It reminded me then, and now, that when people are in their utmost despair and have lost their hope, I can lend them the hope I have. God gave me enough hope to spare. How so? Because MY faith, trust, and hope is in the Lord. 

Well, most days I like to think it is. However, our world today seems rather hopeless. There is a lot that makes my heart heavy. From disruptive protests to fallen heroes to choosing death over life to every kind of abuse -- physical, mental, spiritual.  Where is the hope??

“Let your love be upon us, Lord, even as we hope in you”, says the psalmist. God’s love is ever near us even when we’re not sure of the outcome of the situations we face. As a follower of Christ, I must trust in the steadfast love of the Lord. When I do, the Lord reveals and refills my hope. Recently, He did so during a special liturgy called the Rite of Election. This is when the archbishop gathers with individuals seeking to be welcomed into the Catholic Church this Easter for a time of prayer and reflection as they begin their Lenten journey. The rite is a simple liturgy. Because of its more intimate setting, the current archbishop chooses to encounter the people personally. Instead of a homily, he steps down from the sanctuary, walks among them and simply asks them: Why? That is, why would they choose to become Catholic given the current realities within the Church and in the world? The looks on some faces reveal confusion, as if they’re asking, “Is he really asking me that?” or “Does he really want an answer?” Yes. He does. And after some moments of stunned silence the conversation begins… and hope is revealed:   

“My daughter asked me who Jesus was and I didn’t feel like the generic answers fit. So I did some research. Went to a few churches, started going to Alpha, and all of a sudden I thought: Oh boy, this suddenly got real.“

“I had an encounter where I truly felt the Holy Spirit. Though I didn’t know it then, I know it now.”

“I was brought up in a Pentecostal Church. I thought I knew who Jesus was, but I wanted more. And I found it in the Catholic Church.” 

“I felt like I belonged in this community of faith.” 

In the hospitals when I walked with patients and their families, I would reach deep into the well of hope that God placed in my heart and lend them hope. But sometimes, I’m the one in need. And because, as the psalmist says, “the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord”, we are able to lend hope to one another.




Aurea Sadi

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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