INBOX INSPIRATIONS
June 25, 2025
Hope
Dear Friends,
Some recent data that I have read says that there are 61 armed conflicts in our world right now and that 11 of these are at such a level that they qualify as wars. We, in our country, are more aware of only three of these “war zones” – Iran, the Gaza Strip, and Ukraine.
Besides armed conflict and war, we know that here in America there is a lot of violence. This was so very evident in the recent assassinations of a Minnesota State Representative and her husband and the attempted assassinations of a Minnesota State Senator and his wife. In addition to violence both physical and verbal, there is also a lot of financial uncertainty in our country. In my personal life and in my ministry, I often hear a lot of anxiety and anger.
Given all of this, I turn to hope. We need to embrace a hope that is based on our faith and its vision of life. And that is central: our faith and its vision of life offers hope. I share with you below a reflection on hope from the Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo. These Catholic Sisters serve in 25 countries over 5 continents, including here in the United Sates. Their charism is to serve refugees, migrants, and displaced peoples. This reflection on hope from these Sisters is both inspiring and challenging.
“To have hope
Is to believe that history continues open
To the dream of God and to human creativity.
To have hope
Is to continue affirming
That it is possible to dream a different world,
Without hunger, without injustice,
Without discrimination.
To have hope
Is to be a courier of God
And courier of men and women of good will,
Tearing down walls, building bridges.
To have hope
Is to believe in the revolutionary potential of faith,
Is to leave the door open so that
The Spirit can enter and make all things anew.
To have hope
Is to believe that life wins over death.
To have hope
Is to begin again as many times as necessary.
To have hope
Is to believe that hope is not
The last thing that dies.
To have hope
Is to believe that hope cannot die,
That hope no longer dies.
To have hope
Is to live.”
Fr. Michael Schleupner
