What is the true source of hope? This should be the ultimate question, not only for this retreat but for our entire life.

If this source is only temporary, it certainly cannot be considered the true source of our hope. However, since only God is self-existent and eternal, the true source of hope must be Him.

But if this God were not all-good or did not care for our well-being, we could not place our hope in Him. Fortunately, our God is not only omnipotent, all-knowing, and all-good, but He is also a God who is willing to give Himself completely for us. In fact, for our sake, there is nothing He would not do, even sacrificing Himself so that we may become His adopted sons and daughters and inherit the eternal joy He has prepared for us since the beginning of creation!

This should have been a perfect scenario and should have given us perfect hope. However, because we do not know our God, or we have misunderstood His intentions, we fail to attain this perfect hope!

First, we have hope because we believe that some of our deepest desires can eventually be fulfilled. If our ultimate hope is to attain "the Kingdom of Heaven" and "eternal life" (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church 1817), then we must first ask whether our God is a trustworthy and faithful God who will grant us the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. The historical evidence of God's faithfulness, such as His fulfillment of promises to Noah and Abraham, and the Israelites' eventual entry into the Promised Land under Moses' leadership, demonstrates that this God, who acts in human history, is reliable.

Equally important is how we personally experience God's faithfulness. Only then can we internalize our hope in our personal Saviour, our God, because the foundation of hope is “trust”. It is this unshakable trust that enabled Mary to firmly believe that what God had spoken to her would be fulfilled (cf. Luke 1:45). This was the source of Mary's hope! It explains why she had the strength to face the challenges before her, as well as the determination and faith to continue responding to the prompt of the Holy Spirit and move forward.

In our personal experiences and interactions with God, whether we can witness His faithfulness becomes the key to building this "trust." With “trust” as the foundation of our relationship with God, we have the opportunity to establish a real and tangible tacit understanding with Him.

Once we have this trust and tacit understanding with God, nothing in life can hinder our confidence as we journey through this earthly pilgrimage. Nor can anything block our mutual trust with God!

With this, we can more confidently believe in all the promises God has made to us in the Scripture and in prayer, including the promise He made to us on the first day of this retreat, through the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for peace and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Reflection

What is the source of your hope? Where do you seek your hope?

Do you see God as reliable and faithful? What criteria do you use to determine this?

Do you desire to build a relationship of mutual trust with God? How much do you trust Him?

Today’s Prayer

My dear Father in heaven, thank You for allowing me to reflect on the true source of hope in my life today. I admit that I have not given this question much thought! Perhaps that is why I often lack the virtue of hope.

When I ask myself how much I trust You, I do not have a satisfactory answer. I realize that part of the reason is that my trust in You is built on an unstable foundation. It is a relationship shaped by what I heard from others rather than a genuine and intimate personal relationship with You.

Abba Father, please help me to take You more seriously, to be more willing to spend time communicating with You, and to be more attentive to all that You do in my life and to the words that You speak to me. May I come to know You as my true personal Saviour and place my ultimate hope in You...

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The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding Hope in God’s Kingdom” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.
Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Writer: Paul Yeung
Project Manager: Michael Lam, Rosa Tse
Editors: Bonny Chan, Rosa Tse
English Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul Yeung
Mandarin Editor: Anthony X.
Cantonese Narrator: Margaret Woo
English Narrator: J. Johnson
Mandarin Narrator: C. Zhou
Audio Editors: Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee, Margaret Woo
YouTube Editors: Arnold Chan, Cyan Cheung, Sander Lee
Graphics: Francis Lai, Carmen Tsang, Rosa Tse
Website: Patricia Young, Angela Wong
Podcast: Angela Wong
Social Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa Tse

Theme Music:

"3 MINUTES RELAXATION MUSIC | 4K Scenic View of Tuscany" by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist

“Sea of Memory” by Aakash Gandhi https://www.youtube.com/@88keystoeuphoria