Today’s First Reading Romans 8: 18 - 25

2. Today’s First ReadingRomans 8: 18 - 25 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

3. Today’s First ReadingRomans 8: 18 - 25 • In today’s first reading, St. Paul writes to the Christians in Rome during the time of their persecution • He writes about Hope and Perseverance

4. HOPE • How do we define HOPE? • 1. To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment. • 2. To have confidence; trust. • 3. The theological virtue defined as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God's help

5. HOPE • Etymolgy of the word Hope • from Old English hopa (“hope, expectation”) • from Proto-Germanic *hupōn (“hope”) • Cognate with West Frisian hope (“hope”) • Dutch hoop (“hope”) • Middle High German hoffe (“hope”) • Swedish hopp (“hope”) • from Proto-Indo-European *kēwp-, *kwēp- (“to smoke, boil”)

6. Let’s imagine HOPE • Close your eyes and meditate on this: • Picture in your mind’s eye a sunrise on a quiet beach. • Imagine the first rays of dawn spilling over the water, illuminating it with streaks of golden light. • Hear the seabirds’ cries echoing in the air as they skim over the surf. • Watch the waves hitting the sand, exploding in plumes of white spray, then rolling gently back into the ocean. • It’s so glorious, so peaceful, that you think you could sit there forever.

7. Let’s imagine HOPE • How and what did you feel?

8. Going back… 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

9. …Hope that is seenis not hope • What does this mean to you? • Hoping is useless if we see what lies ahead of us • The whole element of surprise is lost • TV series, reality shows, books, etc. • But we know that we will share with God’s awesome glory… why do we still hope? • Seeing something vs. Knowing something • Seeing – experiencing • Knowing – just in your mind

10. …With perseverancewe wait eagerly • In his meditation on the glory that awaits us as believers, Paul reminds us that all creation will share in that glory. • It’s the longing for this perfection that we feel as we see a beautiful sunrise, look at a snowcapped mountain, or gaze on any natural wonder. • Our spirits are “hardwired” to know that as beautiful as nature is, something even more beautiful is coming. The natural world is but a reflection of heaven—and of the awesome, majestic God who will share it with us!

11. …With perseverancewe wait eagerly • This hope of glory is something we need to be reminded of every day. • We all face times when we are tempted to focus on the negative— on our sinfulness, on our struggles, or on the staggering problems facing the world. • While we shouldn’t ignore these things, neither can we be effective Christian witnesses if we lose our eternal perspective. • The most convincing testimony to Jesus that we can ever give is a life lived in freedom and joy—a life that points other people to the promise of heaven.

12. Be “Heavenly-minded” while your feet are still on earth. • How? • Praise God. Lift your heart up to heaven, and fix your mind on the promises that Jesus has made to you. Make it a point to “bless the Lord at all times,” and you will find yourself growing in confidence in your heavenly destiny. Know, too, that as you lift up the Lord in worship, you will draw near to him—and He will draw near to you!

13. Speaking of Hope & Perseverance… • Let me introduce to you a saint who exemplifies hope & perseverance • His feast day is coming up this Friday, Oct. 28. • Any guesses? • It’s…. St. Jude (Thaddeus)

14. St. Jude (Thaddeus) • patron saint of desperate causes • a brother of St. James the Less, and a relative of Jesus • was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus • traveled throughout Mesopotamia, Libya, and Persia with St. Simon preaching and converting many to Christianity.

15. St. Jude (Thaddeus) • St. Jude is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter stresses that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh, difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. • Credited for the conversion of the people and countries who were nearly impossible to convert to Christians.

16. Prayer Thank you, Jesus! I know you are standing by me in the midst of all my challenges. To be in your presence is all I need. Lord, I praise you with all my heart!