HOPE

I mentioned earlier that I read Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical on HOPE. Actually I'm rereading it a second time because I have found it so should I say hopeful! He reminds us that our hope can not be in material things or in our politics. This is what Karl Marx tried to do with the communist party which he laid out in his 1848 Communist Manifesto. He talked about Radical Change (sound familiar?) I will quote what the Pope said:

"Together with the victory of the revolution, though, Marx's fundamental error also became evident. He showed precisely how to overthrow the existing order, but he did not say how matters should proceed thereafter. He simply presumed that with the expropriation of the ruling class, with the fall of political power and the socialization of means of production, the new Jerusalem would be realized. Then, indeed, all contradictions would be resolved, man and the world would finally sort themselves out. Then everything would be able to proceed by itself along the right path, because everything would belong to everyone and all would desire the best for one another. Thus, having accomplished the revolution, Lenin must have realized that the writings of the master gave no indication as to how to proceed. True, Marx had spoken of the interim phase of the dictatorship of the proletariat as a necessity which in time would automatically become redundant. This “intermediate phase” we know all too well, and we also know how it then developed, not ushering in a perfect world, but leaving behind a trail of appalling destruction. Marx not only omitted to work out how this new world would be organized—which should, of course, have been unnecessary. His silence on this matter follows logically from his chosen approach. His error lay deeper. He forgot that man always remains man. He forgot man and he forgot man's freedom. He forgot that freedom always remains also freedom for evil. He thought that once the economy had been put right, everything would automatically be put right. His real error is materialism: man, in fact, is not merely the product of economic conditions, and it is not possible to redeem him purely from the outside by creating a favourable economic environment. "

We have politicians that want to take away from one class of people by taxation and give it to those on the low end of the economic scale. This is socialism my friends. This is not hope! This is redistribution of wealth. Hope does not come from this! I have seen first hand how the welfare system has hurt our society. Just as those with money must be generous and be responsible stewart's with their money and not greedy, sloth is also a sin and those who are irresponsible and live off the system. With that said there are those who truly need the system and I'm glad there is a safety net for them.

Also everyone is wining about the rising prices. I don't like it either and my heart goes out to those who live on a fixed income and can't afford the higher prices but let us not loose hope. We must remember where our true hope lies...........not in this life but in eternity. I've been thinking about heaven lately and envisioning what it will be like to meet all the great Saints who have gone before us and of course our family members! At mass today Father said we will have these bodies, though of course they will be much better! We will be able to recognize every one......how fun!

The Pope also talks about suffering. Here is just some snipets: "Like action, suffering is a part of our human existence. Suffering stems partly from our finitude, and partly from the mass of sin which has accumulated over the course of history, and continues to grow unabated today. Certainly we must do whatever we can to reduce suffering: to avoid as far as possible the suffering of the innocent; to soothe pain; to give assistance in overcoming mental suffering. These are obligations both in justice and in love, and they are included among the fundamental requirements of the Christian life and every truly human life. Great progress has been made in the battle against physical pain; yet the sufferings of the innocent and mental suffering have, if anything, increased in recent decades. Indeed, we must do all we can to overcome suffering, but to banish it from the world altogether is not in our power. This is simply because we are unable to shake off our finitude and because none of us is capable of eliminating the power of evil, of sin which, as we plainly see, is a constant source of suffering. Only God is able to do this: only a God who personally enters history by making himself man and suffering within history. We know that this God exists, and hence that this power to “take away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) is present in the world. Through faith in the existence of this power, hope for the world's healing has emerged in history. It is, however, hope—not yet fulfilment; hope that gives us the courage to place ourselves on the side of good even in seemingly hopeless situations, aware that, as far as the external course of history is concerned, the power of sin will continue to be a terrible presence.

He wrote so much more on suffering read Paragraphs 32-40 . Because of original sin suffering is something we can not avoid in this world. But in cooperating with suffering it can truly transform us! We want to run and hide and avoid pain at all cost but in reality it costs us more! Jesus came down as man and suffered more that we will ever suffer. We have a living God who cares about every detail of our lives. I am so thankful that our Lord has revealed himself to me and that without shame I call myself a Christian and Catholic at that! I am not embarrassed by any of her teachings and I will defend them especially the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and Birth Control. We have so much to be thankful for! I will do another entry on what our Holy Father says about the Last Judgement.