What does it mean to be 'Saved by Hope?'

What does it mean to be 'Saved by Hope?'

Highlights

By Catholic Online
4/25/2023 (1 year ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Saved, Hope, Saint, Paul, Bible, School, Education

Imagine you have a job you dislike. Maybe you have a terrible boss. Perhaps the pay is low, or the work is boring. Then, one day you win the lottery. You win so much money, you will never have to work again. However, there's a catch. You must wait one year before you can claim the prize. And during that year, you cannot tell anyone about it.

How will the knowledge of this prize change your attitude towards work? Would you be more cheerful, less worried? Would your anxieties be less?

Most people would perhaps answer in the affirmative. Yes, you would be happier because you know the present condition is temporary, and when your wait is finished, you will enjoy many good things.

And so it is with our salvation. Saint Paul explained it like this in his Letter to the Thessalonians:

13 We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, to make sure that you do not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope.

14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that in the same way God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.

(1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

To Know God is to Receive Hope

In other words, St. Paul is saying that we should not be overwhelmed with despair at problems, such as the passing of loved ones, or our own passing. That is because we are assured of a great reward in heaven.

We have hope because we have faith in Jesus Christ. Specifically, we know that Jesus, as God, cannot lie. Therefore, we know His promises are true and are always kept. And the purpose of His incarnation, death, and resurrection is our salvation.

Simply put, we can rely on His promises. Therefore, we should face all anxieties with the confidence of a person who works a difficult job in the expectation of a tremendous reward. Things may be tough, but only for a time. And at the end of that time, we will enjoy a reward that eclipses our present challenges.

This is a hopeful message, and Catholic Online School is now preaching it to more than one million student enrollments. Catholic Online School is dedicated to providing a free, world-class Catholic education to anyone, anywhere. The idea is that by sharing the Gospel and teaching the Catechism with absolute faithfulness to the magisterium of the Catholic Church, we help people to appreciate their faith. We convince people to become Catholic, and to remain Catholic by giving them hope.

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Now, as a Catholic it is your turn to help us share this message of hope. Just as Jesus and the Apostles relied upon the support of lay people like you to support their mission, we are turning to you to ask for your support. Please consider giving generously to this had-working and powerful Apostolate, which is Catholic Online School.

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