The Resurrection — The Hope that Does Not Disappoint
We are in the Jubilee Year of Hope as initiated by Pope Francis with the theme of Pilgrims of Hope and the words of St. Paul from his letter to the Romans, “Hope does not disappoint” (5:5), as its foundation. Hope is a wide-ranging word which can imply different meanings in different contexts. It is both a noun and a verb which always anticipates something positive. It is associated with optimism, positive outlook, drive, enthusiasm and success. However, the hope which we are engaged with as pilgrims of hope has to do with all of these positive elements but transcends far beyond it.
Hope is the sure and certain conviction of what we celebrate at Easter. It is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after His tormented and painful crucifixion. Hope is the certain promise to us, that despite the pains and difficulties we may face in this life, God is always with us. Christ, who became one of us in our human nature and pain, offers us the life of His Resurrection here and now, and ultimately the fullness of life with Him in heaven. Hope goes far beyond a wish, no matter how likely it be. I hope there will be good weather today, I hope to win the lottery, or I hope my spouse will change his or her ways. We know that, no matter how we yearn for something, it may not always happen. However, our hope in the fullness of life will come about as a certainty with our faith secure in Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines hope as “the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and not relying on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.” Hope goes beyond optimism, as it goes into eternity as promised by God. True optimism is fueled by true hope and not the reverse.
There is a magnificent painting of the Resurrection by the Netherlandish painter Matthias Grünewald. It is part of an altarpiece which hung in a monastery in Isenheim, France, during the 16th century. The painting attempts to depict the moment of the Resurrection when the Lord triumphs over death. He is dressed splendidly in red robes with the brightness of a golden circle of light emulating from him. The light is in contrast to the darkness behind Him, spotted with specks of light which are stars. The Lord’s hands are raised as the nail marks from the crucifixion are visible on them and His feet, as is the wound on His side from the piercing of the lance. There is a dignified but embracing smile upon the Lord’s face with his eyes lovingly fixed on the beholder of the painting. The scene is an almost mystical one conveying the transforming power of Christ’s Resurrection. We are immediately drawn to the person of Christ in the painting who, in a very loving manner, draws us beyond time and ourselves. The painting certainly captures the power of the Resurrection and the certain hope which it offers to us.
To fully appreciate the painting of the Resurrection and the hope it engenders, one must look at what is the center of the altarpiece and that is the horrific scene of the crucifixion. The suffering of Christ is portrayed as one of the most terrifying ever to be seen. It vividly conveys the pain, torture and abandonment that Jesus experienced. The painting hung in a monastery which treated the victims of a painful skin plague during the 16th century, and portrayed Jesus with the same sores which victims experienced, communicating that God knew their pain and was with them in it. The scene of the crucifixion conveys the pain that is present among so many people around the world today in so many wars and acts of violence. It also can convey the pain we so often face in our lives. That is why the depiction of the Risen Christ, with His glorious radiance, conveys the joy of true hope, which is His Resurrection.
Pope Francis has given us much to reflect upon during this Jubilee Year of Hope, not only in terms of his teaching, but especially by being a living example of what hope is all about. During his current illness, his resolve to live each day carrying out the mission which God has entrusted to him in this life is due to his living with true hope here and now and his gaze fixed on eternal life. Pope Francis expressed, in a talk on World Communications Day this past January, that, “Hope, in fact, is not something easy.” He quoted one of his favorite French Catholic authors, George Bernanos, who said that “Only those are capable of hope who have had the courage to despair of the illusions and lies in which they once found security and which they falsely mistook for hope. Hope is a risk that must be taken. It is the risks of risks.” Pope Francis stressed that “Hope is a hidden virtue, tenacious and patient. For Christians, it is not an option but a necessary condition.” Pope Francis quoted Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi: “The one who has hope lives differently; the one who has hope has been granted the gift of a new life.” Hope is not a passive optimism. Hoping is waiting for something that has already been given to us, which is eternal life in God’s infinite love. Pope Francis certainly lives what he teaches.
At Easter, we celebrate that Christ is risen. The reality of the horror of the crucifixion has been transformed into the glory of the Resurrection. He who looked at us lovingly from the cross looks directly at us from over the tomb. He invites us into His life. As we walk as pilgrims of faith through this life, we understand that hope does not disappoint.
In his recent autobiography, Hope, Pope Francis refers to another one of his favorite Catholic authors, Charles Péguy. Here, he points out how Péguy referred to hope as the virtue that fills God with the most wonder. His book, The Portal of the Mystery of Hope, a lengthy poem, begins, “The faith I love the best, says God, is hope.” In his autobiography, Pope Francis says, “We all know from direct experience, that the journey in life is one of joy as well as one of toil. Hope is not a way of making things easy or a panacea for simpletons, nor another way of saying ‘all is fine and dandy’: instead, it is the force for living in the present with courage and a capacity to look toward the future.” Pope Francis makes clear by his words and life that future is eternal life, which will not disappoint.
A blessed Easter and Easter season to you and your families! May it be filled with true hope that does not disappoint!
Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
April 18, 2025
