What has happened to Hope?

Of the three Cardinal Virtues, hope is the one that has become hidden from the treasures that have attracted so many desires in life. Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God’s love and of incurring punishment. (CCC 2090).

Reading the Psalms we can see most give the reader a sense of constant hope for God’s mercy and his fidelity towards the children he has created. While faith is a function of our intellect, hope is an act of our will.

Tonight, watching a Fox presentation, Tucker Carlson had a gentleman speaking about suicide and the growing number of young persons seeking assisted suicide. This used to be a now and then occurrence but lately has become a way for too many to escape the trials of life. We used to think that seeking for necessities was reaching for too much, but it actually has become a plausible action of seeking for so little.

It is more than viewing hope as a virtue for so many, it is a desire of a mental capacity of looking for something that is alluding for many persons, especially the young. Without the connection of those who are able to sense the deep need of help with our close relatives or friends the prognosis gets a firm hold on them which will lead to self-destruction.

Often we may see these signs in someone we love, but there are those whose capacity to hide suicide thoughts may escape us. I know since my grandson committed suicide at 20 years of age. There were signs but so subtle that we weren’t certain he would take his life. His parents had him hospitalized for attempting to cut his wrists, and when I saw him at the hospital he appeared to be ok. If one is going to go through with their quest of ending life they often do well in hiding it.

Looking at the uncertainty of our current financial existence and the constant threat of violence through tyranny and insurrection many feel that their inability to change things around them and the dismal outlook ahead may be ripe contenders for suicide, assisted or self-imposed. When hope is lost within a frightened person and their future promises devastation for them, suicide ends their crisis.

All we can do at times is reach out to the weaker portion of society and try to instill hope within their pesona and pray that our intentions are able to reach inside to make a difference. However, hope must be coupled along with faith but isn’t always successful. Remember as I wrote above faith is a function of the intellect, hope is an act of the will. Since free will always presents a block to someone’s choice of acting out a decision our hands are at times tied.

Do your best at reaching a suicidal person who appears to have little or no hope and hope yourself that you circumvent their will.

Ralph B. Hathaway