Although the term "hope" gives us the impression it is a gift that offers us rest, it actually doesn't. According to St. Thomas Aquinas it is one of the challenging passions whereby we strain towards something good. We endure, therefore the restlessness of spirit that remains unsatisfied in the absence of some good. The theological virtue of hope strains towards the Divine-Good - God Himself. This theological virtue leads to placing natural hopes into their proper context.

The sins against Hope: despair and presumption are "easy" passions according to Aquinas. They are not necessary enjoyable, but they are comforting in the sense of "giving-up" is comforting. We choose to rest is letting go of a good. Sometimes we have to do this with natural goods, but when it comes to the Divine Good, despairing is a sin against despair. Presumption is the death of our relationship with a God of grace, rather than approaching him with entitlement.

How do we navigate these challenging times where we are exhausted of hoping for something better; we are exhausted of being restless? We need to pray for a supernatural type of hope that will enable us to rise above all worldly losses, as good as they might be.

Christ speaks to his audience, he knows exactly how to correct each group. To the Pharisees they struggled with integrating love into the law, with the lawless, law into the disposition of love. To which does Christ emphasize to you? This integration is why the Church teaches the "theology of the Body" rather than the "theology of Love." For laws do "hang" from Love, and they are specific.

The theme of bread is used in various ways. Jesus teaches us that "Man does not live by bread alone" but hungers for the "Word that comes from the Father's mouth." Jesus is that Word. Jesus also teaches us, after addressing the Samaritan woman's thirst, that He has Bread that others do not know about. But this bread is "doing the will of the Father." When Jesus feeds us Himself, He is feeding us the Spirit of Obedience to His Father that lives in Him. We can tap into this through faith, in a way that makes such obedience appetizing. Without faith, it is merely servile fear or aimless practices that lead our life. But to make ourselves into a self-offering to God we sacrifice our will, by surrendering to His with full trust, flinging ourselves into the loving arms of God's will.

WE are called to discern God's will through faith and reason as King's who share in Christ's Mission to extend grace and the Gospel.

Here is an Audio Version of a new series on Studying Theology taking place in our Parish. If you would like to watch it on Youtube, please subscribe to our page AVON-THAMES CATHOLIC FAMILY OF PARISHES.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUuRFDOf6FNSorVwCfThPHbMLFObHm6t_

Vocals: Karen Tigani

Piano/Organ: Ron MacDonald

Vocals: Karen Tigani

Piano/Organ: Ron MacDonald

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, and Sacred Scripture, "life" is not merely in the body, but also carries a spiritual connotation. That said, a resurrection not only speaks of a bodily resurrection, but also the reviving of a soul that has died due to sin. In some ways this has happened to our families as well, and God is using this time to Visit our families and to breath new life into them.

Music by Ron MacDonald

(1) Jesus Remember Me

(2) Lift High the Cross

(3) Pange, Lingua, Glorios