Hope

This world is a rough and unforgiving place. Disaster, sickness, others' unrestrained behaviour, all of this reflects a cosmos where descent into chaos is the norm.

The Christian hope is a flat denial that this has the last word. In today's proper readings for Mass (see here), we have Ezekiel prophesying the Word of God and the Spirit of God reconstituting and resurrecting the dead. St. Paul talks about the dichotomy of the fleshy (subject to this cosmos' fallen model) and the spiritual (remade as immortal in God's embrace). Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead after assuring Martha that death is not the last word, an assertion He will back up with His own resurrection a scant few days later.

The crux of the matter of this very short reflection is that our hope is in the Name of the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. God has promised that death is not the last word, that suffering will have an end, and that it is within His power at the fulfilment of everything to bring eternal life. That is our hope and our trust, particularly as we approach Holy Week and Easter.

Thanks be to God.