Never give up on hope.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. Gal 5:22-23

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:13

… put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. Col 3:14-15

I plead with you — never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid. ― Pope John Paul II, Pope John Paul II in My Own Words

You can’t win, Darth. If you strike me down, I’ll shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Obiwan Kenobi

There’s a saying, “May you live in interesting times”. Some call it an ancient Chinese curse.  Perhaps, and there are indications that, under a Biden administration, Christians – especially Catholics – will be in for a rough time.

How we react is a reflection of how we practice our faith.

Some will react with fear, with apprehension, and all sort of negative emotions.

But the Christian needn’t.  Think of the Fruit of the Spirit.  Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. And so forth. These things don’t grow on their own. They have to be cultivated.

Anybody who’s ever dealt with children or with the elderly will be the first to tell you that patience doesn’t come naturally.  You must will to be patient. And it doesn’t come quickly, or not even necessarily quickly.  The answer to “God, give me patience – now!” is never “yes”.  It has to grow – but it only grows when we choose to let it grow.

That is why Paul said to the Colossians, “put on love”. Even when you don’t feel it, you must love.

In the same way, even when you don’t feel joy, you must live it. Or peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Self-control.

And, if the three Theological Virtues remain – Faith, Hope, & Love – and we’re told put on Love, oughtn’t we also put on Faith and Hope?

In these times, though, when things seem to threaten us, it can difficult.  But, we know that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. That alone is reason for hope. And, if it’s gonna all work out, it’s reason for joy.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds.  Nobody does.  But I do know that, when all is said and done, Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings.  If our culture, our government, strikes down Christ’s Church, it will rise again to become stronger than the culture and government can even imagine. 

• Cultivate the Fruit.
• Cultivate the virtues.
• Know that, in the end, God wins.