“Nation will rise against nation”
In view of the numerous dangers and threats against human existence, Christians battle with all the strength of their hope, in union with all people of good will, for a more stable future that is worth living. Furthermore, what motivates us is not just a purely earthly hope but also and above all that hope which comes from faith, whose foundation and goal are ultimately God himself: the God who, in Jesus Christ, has spoken his definitive “yes” to humankind. In his cross and resurrection Christ has overcome all the world’s suffering and disaster, thus becoming for all of us the sign of hope.
Hope is indeed a divine virtue. It is fundamentally a gift that you already obtain… whenever you pray together with others and for others… We Christians equally have the duty of manifesting our hope publicly and sharing it with others. By words and actions rich in hope we shall help others to overcome their fear of life, their resignation and indifference, and have confidence in God and in other people. As disciples of Christ… you are to give people of today, surrounded as they are by a thousand threats and so full of confusion, the words and the hope that set us free.