Word and Songs | Paul and Protocols of Hope

Sr. Rose Agtarap, fsp

Today, we will dwell on some of Paul’s words and the protocols for hope. Yes, you heard me right. I said protocols. The most common meaning of protocol is “a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations.” In simple terms, guidelines. Just as there are Covid protocols, there are also protocols for hope. And who best can guide us, but St. Paul who himself experienced a lot of tribulations: lashings, beatings with rods, stoning, shipwrecks, hunger, thirst, persecutions, anxieties and other dangers. Did he ever get conflicted, fearful, unsure? You bet! I guess God had to remind him who he was and to whom he belonged many times over.

You are loved. You are strong and you belong to God who holds you in the palm of his hands. Thomas Merton writes: “If, instead of trusting in God, I trust only in my own intelligence, my own strength, and my own prudence, the means that God has given me to find my way to him will all fail me. Nothing created is of any ultimate use without hope. To place your trust in visible things is to live in despair.” This is because we don’t see things as they really are, unless we see them in the light of pure hope.

You know, we might make choices, hard decisions thinking that it is in the best interest of the people we love, only to end up hurting them or ruining their future. Even the best intentions do not guarantee the happiness or success one desires. So we hope they will understand. St. Paul tells the Colossians: “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Only God knows the complete picture and can be the sure ground for a real hope.

Hope is a certitude that God will always remain with us, no matter what the circumstances. But as GK Chesterton observed: “It is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength at all.” Hopeful people do not pretend. They go about their business without fear, without too many expectations, without self-congratulation, and without self-pity. They do what they have to do, as a mother does. A mother does not make lists, does not pretend, does not count. She loves the baby, does what love tells her to do, and watches her baby and her hope grow. She is allowed to dream. Dreaming – hoping for something to happen – is magical. If you don’t know what you want, ask your dreams. A dream and hope fuel the energy for doing extraordinary things.

St. Paul was going from one place to another when he had a dream. A man from Macedonia was pleading with him: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” He went and that changed the course of his missionary journey.

Hope can take you anywhere you want to go. High dreams and hope help us to heal our lives and to create our own masterpieces. But this should not be confused with unrealistic fantasy. High aims motivate us without denying reality. Mere fantasy, on the other hand, makes us fool ourselves into hoping to escape the dreary reality of life.

Here are the first two protocols for hope:

No. 1. Discover where your hope is. What gives you hope? Music? Relationships? Achieving goals? Prayer? Let it become part of your daily life. Try to reach your full potential. In times of setbacks and difficulties, do what you most like to do, what makes you happy.

No. 2. Set a goal. Write a mission statement with your goals. It could include exercising every day, writing a book, going back to school, starting a small business. Whatever it is, a goal directs your attention, focuses your intention and connects your activities with others. Working to achieve goals engages your talents, exercises your abilities, and builds hope in you, for you and for others.