Embrace Hope

What are you waiting for?

Don’t you wish to be blessed?

What should you do?

Put your hope in God, Allah, Brahma, or Dao.

Feel the warmth in knowing the Divine.

Make your path straight in seeking the light.

And embrace the celestial love that’s all embracing.

You’re sons and daughters of the Most High.

You’ve to love your neighbor as yourself.

You’ve to walk steadfast in faith.

And you’ll be greeted by the Almighty One.

It isn’t any use being selfish in life.

Share the joy you encounter with others.

And foster goodness with those you encounter.

So reach out to those that are lonely.

It’s the dawning of hope that counts.

It entangles all difficulties that seek to entrap you.

So let loose and rise like a star with brilliance.

These gifts bear incredible blessings.

“Divine Majesty, you’ve blessed us with many gifts.  Let our hope and joys of the future surround us like the brilliance of the sun.”

Amen

Jesus gave thanks, consecrated the bread and wine, and presented his body and blood as spiritual nourishment to his apostles, and for the salvation of all (Jn. 6:53-58).  This Eucharist renews the same sacrifice Christ made upon the cross.  The ritual sacrifice under the Old Law was the sign of the covenant between God and his people.  In the New Testament the sacrifice achieves perfection through Christ.  This Eucharist is therefore celebrated as a memorial of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven.  At the Mass Christ is sacramentally present.  He offers his sacrifice in the union with the church; for this reason we call the Eucharist the sacrifice of the church.

The Eucharist is a Sacrament

The Eucharist is a sacrament because Christ offers himself to the Father in the Mass just as he did on the cross, but the offering is made through the consecratory action of the priest.

What does the Eucharist do?

1. Unites the recipient to Christ,
2. Gives life – “a true food” (Jn. 6:54),
3. Shares in the life of Christ – eternal life (Jn. 6:58; Mt. 5:23-24; Jn. 3:19-24),
4. Builds up Christ’s mystical body – the church (1 Cor. 10:16-17; Jn. 17:2021),
5. And serves as a heavenly banquet (1 Cor. 11:26; Mt. 26:29; Lk. 14:16; 2 Pet. 3:13).

Scott Hahn’s Catholic Bible Dictionary explained that the Eucharist is also known as the Lord’s Supper.  This is a Christian sacrament that honors the actions of Jesus at the last supper.  It is reported in all the Synoptic Gospels that Jesus took bread and blessed it (Mk. 14:22-24).  This partaking of the Eucharist is called Holy Communion.  In Greek eucharistia means “thanksgiving” – the sacrament in which Christ is really present under the appearances of bread and wine.  Other names for the Eucharist are:  Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper, the table of the Lord, the breaking of the bread, the unbloody sacrifice, our daily bread, the most blessed sacrament, the sacrifice of praise, and agape.  However the Eucharist is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, and a paschal banquet.

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To be emancipated from evil is a great blessing.  This is when people are pardoned for their sins.  Amazingly this happens for those sins which are great or small, and with Christ that’s the end of the matter.  It’s however known that some who lack faith hold on to their guilt disbelieving our Lord has really forgiven them.  But God loves us even as sinners.  There’s no prejudice with him, and with repentance our guilt is washed away.

William Pollard (1828–1893), an English Quaker observed, “Learning and innovation go hand in hand.  The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.”  Forgiveness for one’s sins is like that.  Although yesterday sins are forgiven people must repent today regardless how good they think they are. We continually sin and have to ask for forgiveness again and again.

Being Afflicted

In some way we all suffer.  This is natural since we live by the flesh.  Christians therefore always have to seek God’s mercy.  Their motivation for doing so is to receive forgiveness and Christ’s divine love.  With these gifts they are blessed by a living and forgiving God.  When relief comes we’re spiritually enriched. 

Emma Goldman (1869–1940), a Lithuanian-born anarchist wrote, “On rare occasions one does hear of a miraculous case of a married couple falling in love after marriage, but on close examination, it will be found that it is a mere adjustment to the inevitable.”  Is such love found after marriage? Imagine couples marrying in spite of knowing each other’s shortcomings.  Such individuals eventually find love which at first is elusive.

Not Worthy

We shouldn’t consider ourselves unworthy of pardon.  Why put on blinders and not receive this precious gift from Christ?  Our sins don’t matter, for regardless how desperate is our case we can still call on the Lord.  Even if we believe we’re utterly unworthy. We may even feel we’re the greatest sinners, and he’ll welcome us back.  Isn’t that amazing? 

George Herbert (1593–1633), a Welsh-born Anglican priest prayed, “Throw away thy rod, throw away thy wrath; O my God, take the gentle path.”  This was Herbert’s plea to God our Savior, and should be ours.  Christians are happier after receiving God’s forgiveness.

God’s Gifts

At points in our lives we may wallow in the dust.  However we must still be optimistic about our lives.  Being forgiven by God sustains our joy found only in Christ.  We ought to accept the gifts of God’s Kingdom through reconciliation.  It’s for people wishing to be emancipated from evil, finding grace, and being blessed with eternal bliss.

Jack Layton (1950–2011), a Canadian politician said, “My friends, love is better than anger.  Hope is better than fear.  Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.  And we’ll change the world.”  That’s how believers ought to see forgiveness – its power, love, hope, and optimism.

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With understanding people show differences in the way they love.  Some religious types have committed themselves to missionary love.  Their actions embody God’s mercy, and bring healing into a broken world.  This is how some Christians share the good news taught in the Gospels.  Margaret D. Nadauld (b. 1944), the eleventh general president of the Young Women Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wrote, “Our outward appearance is a reflection of what are on the inside.  Our lives reflect that which we seek.  And if with all our hearts we truly seek to know the savior and to be more like Him, we shall be, for He is our divine, eternal Brother.”  In seeking to know Christ, and by accepting this love causes believers to embrace his teachings.

But there’s much more to this story according to Ellen G. White (1827–1915), a prolific author and  Christian pioneer of The Seventh-day Adventist Church who said, “In the consequences our limited ideas of the sufferings of Christ, we place a low estimate upon the great work of the atonement.  The glorious plan of man’s salvation was brought about through the infinite love of God the Father.  In this divine plan is seen the most marvelous manifestation of the love of God to the fallen race.”  It’s enlightening to know that God’s love doesn’t discriminate.  Believers live under his protection by loving him, and their neighbors.

Some individuals might ask, “How could people be happy in a broken world?”  Thomas S. Monson (b. 1927), a religious leader and sixteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wrote, “Finding the real joy of Christians come not in the hurrying and scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts.  We find real joy when we make the Savior the focus of the season.”  This type of happiness is found at all times – not only at Christmas, but when people worship and praise God.

Believers’ love for Christ is revealed when they do volunteer work for the poor and homeless.  As God’s co-creators on earth they bless, uplift those in need, and by doing homage to the risen Christ.  Noam Chromsky (b. 1928), a linguist and social political activist said, “Changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above.  They come out of struggles from below.”  A lot depends on how people view their struggles.  It’s best to offer them up to God as gifts.  Hard work is essential, but Christians ought to put their dependence on God, who makes all things possible.  God’s precious gift of love is marvelous and free.  All believers have to do is to seek his blessings, and pursue his will.  Much of what they end up receiving comes through his grace.  This approach should be one of persistence in their belief, and faith in the heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He’s the Almighty One, who knows all things, and blesses us.  That’s surely is God’s divine love.

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