What a different experience life is, when we see and hold ourselves
and others as God sees and holds us – with unconditional love and mercy.
A Theology of Hope and Shifting Expectations
April 29, 2020
If you find yourself, awake in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep, I recommend thinking and praying about hope! At least that’s what happened for me as I tried to fall back to sleep last Tuesday night.
Although it is hard to think about hope when faced with unmet expectations, shattered dreams, death of loved ones, war and violence, to hope is exactly where we are called.
Hope is defined as, “the feeling of expectation or desire for a certain thing to happen.”
Kristen and her family leading the Alleluia during Livestream Mass last Saturday with Sam, Maggie, husband Jon and Joseph as cantor.
The challenge of this definition of hope is that it puts the onus on humankind to determine that in which we hope or expect or desire. Another definition for hope is “a feeling of trust.” This might get us a little closer if we can expand the definition of Christian hope to include God – trusting in the loving and merciful embrace of God.
Many signs of hope! This week we are planting new trees, plants and sod.
I find the dictionary definitions for hope lacking because hope is deeply rooted in faith. It is rooted in the belief that something more or better is possible, but that something cannot be met with expectation, but rather with faith. The readings for today, on this 3rd Wednesday of Easter, offer a glimpse of the hope-filled early church led by Philip and the exhortation by Jesus that we live by the will of the Father. Let us open our hearts and minds to the fruits of the Scripture and to where God might be calling us today.
Wishing you hope and good health,
Kristen Kraus
Faith Formation Team
Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Easter
There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem,
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
and all were scattered
throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and made a loud lament over him.
Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the Church;
entering house after house and dragging out men and women,
he handed them over for imprisonment.
Now those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
Thus Philip went down to the city of Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ to them.
With one accord, the crowds paid attention to what was said by Philip
when they heard it and saw the signs he was doing.
For unclean spirits, crying out in a loud voice,
came out of many possessed people,
and many paralyzed and crippled people were cured.
There was great joy in that city.
"You Say"
The MPB Music Ministry singing You Say at rehearsal in 2019. Soloists are Patty Holloway, pictured here, and Will Shea.
MPB Livestream Mass Continues!
- Join us for our Livestream Masses every Saturday at 4:30pm.
- All parishioners are invited to be a part of the "stay-at-home" virtual assembly. Signup by Friday and you will be sent a Zoom videoconference link and instructions by Saturday morning. "Seats" are limited to 450 households per Mass.
- Watch the weekend Mass on your own once it's posted online (by Sunday morning) for the remainder of the week.
Please send any questions to tstone@mpbdenver.org.
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