Category Archives: Spe Salvi

Suffering: Catholics of previous ages were told to submit, offer it up, or some such. There is a certain virtue in bearing wrongs for a greater good. First, human beings thrive as humans, not as doormats. It would seem we … Continue reading →

This paragraph concludes our look at Prayer as a school of hope: 34. For prayer to develop this power of purification, it must on the one hand be something very personal, an encounter between my intimate self and God, the … Continue reading →

Let’s return to our look at Pope Benedict XVI’s examination of hope from 2007. From section 32 to 48, he describes “Settings” for learning and practicing hope. The first of these is the briefest. We started here before Holy Week. We … Continue reading →

Pope Benedict XVI explores “Settings” for learning and practicing hope. He begins with prayer (32-34). 32. A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer. When no one listens to me anymore, God still listens to me. When I can no … Continue reading →

Let’s wrap up The true shape of Christian hope, shall we? According to Pope Benedict XVI there’s nothing wrong with pinning our hopes on matters that the world considers important. I suppose education, career, meeting good friends, and the like. Perhaps … Continue reading →

Pope Benedict has taken a circuitous, but edifying route through the true shape of Christian hope with the accompaniment of saints, Augustine, Maximus the Confessor, Paul, John, and even the Psalmist. Here, we return to consider the individual person of today: … Continue reading →

This section of the true shape of Christian hope picks up at Augustine being called out at Mass for priestly ordination. Talk about a hermeneutic of rupture: 29. For Augustine this meant a totally new life. He once described his daily … Continue reading →

In our examination of the true shape of Christian hope recently we’ve talked about the importance of relationship. Pope Benedict XVI wants his readers to be sure they avoid the trap of me-n-Jesus. 28. Yet now the question arises: are we not … Continue reading →

In exploring the true shape of Christian hope it doesn’t surprise me that Pope Benedict looks to the fourth Gospel, assembled at a time when the last of the apostles were passing away, and Christians looked to faith perhaps instead … Continue reading →

26. It is not science that redeems (us: we are) redeemed by love. This applies even in terms of this present world. When someone has the experience of a great love in (their) life, this is a moment of “redemption” … Continue reading →

In our discussion on freedom, and the opportunity in the present moment to address wrongs, we strive to detect the true shape of Christian hope as this section (24-31) is titled. 25. What this means is that every generation has the … Continue reading →

The true shape of Christian hope covers sections 24 through 31. We start here: 24. Let us ask once again: what may we hope? And what may we not hope? First of all, we must acknowledge that incremental progress is possible … Continue reading →

Let’s finish up the theme of transformation of Christian faith-hope in the modern age. 23. As far as the two great themes of “reason” and “freedom” are concerned, here we can only touch upon the issues connected with them. Yes … Continue reading →

How about a morning dose of Pope Benedict XVI to start the day? I have to confess the journey with marxism is the most disappointing chunk of a document I otherwise found worthy. It seems to wander far afield from … Continue reading →

Some might consider this a bit of a rabbit hole from the topic of hope, but it’s an interesting window into the mind of Pope Benedict XVI. I think it would be just as easy to review the philosophy of, … Continue reading →