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Tony Lopez Professor Ward. Spe Salvi paper Word Count: 1516

Hope is a gift that helps

an!ind "or! through the present. That is to say# that "ithout

any hope for the future# there "ould $e no point to the present. The %uestion that &o es forth fro this# is "hat is real hope# and ho" is it &onne&ted "ith the Catholi& Chur&h' Pope (enedi&t

)*+ "rote Spe Salvi in address of these %uestions and %uestions si ilar to these. +n Spe Salvi# there are eight ain points that are addressed, ea&h $eing intert"ined "ith hope in so e "ay.

The first point addressed# is that faith is hope. The idea &o es up that faith and hope are very si ilar# even so that so e parts of the (i$le use the "ords al ost in pla&e of ea&h other. This is e-pressed $e&ause it is al ost i possi$le to have one "ithout the other. (asi&ally# there &an $e no hope for the future if there is no $elief that there is so e greater po"er# .od# out there that a!es things "or! out. /nother point $rought up is that if there is no greater po"er# than

there &annot $e anything after this life# as in eternity or heaven. +f there really is no heaven# than "hat is there to hope for on this 0arth $ut the $est of an earthly life' 1$viously there is nothing else to hope for# and even the idea that the $est of an earthly life is not desire. The se&ond point &o es fro the &on&ept of faith2$ased hope in the 3e" Testa ent. +n essage that "as portrayed of ho" to live life. +t u&h of a hope $ut a

the ti es of the 3e" Testa ent# there "as a

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"asn4t through any !ind of revolution# "hi&h "as "hat the 5e"s thought there "ould $e "hen the 6essiah &a e# $ut it "as through a rene"al of true faith to .od and through hope that there "ill $e so ething $etter# so ething li!e heaven. This point &o es fro the "ay 5esus offered

hi self as a self2sa&rifi&e for all. Through his self2sa&rifi&e and resurre&tion# 5esus sho"ed the "orld that there "as so ething "orth $elieving in and so ething "orth hoping for# a transfor ed life and "orld. Point three addresses "hat eternal life really is. +t points out that the idea of eternity that is thought of today# never dying and al"ays staying on this 0arth# is a$solutely "rong. The idea $ehind eternal life &annot $e fulfilled "ith a pla&e li!e 0arth, it is &haoti& and filled "ith sin. 7eal eternal life &o es fro dying "ould only see a pla&e "here there is no sin, "here the thought that so eone never

li!e it "as natural. 1n&e the idea of "hat eternal life really is# it &o es to

%uestion of "hat &an help attain eternal life. There is a&tually a si ple ans"er# for it is through the sa&ra ents# li!e $aptis # that one is a$le to re&eive the gift of parti&ipation of eternal life. The ne-t point dis&usses the possi$ility of Christian hope $eing individualisti&. The auto ati& response for any people is that it is individualisti&, a person ai s to save the selves. eant to $e# and has al"ays $een

This is a&tually a "rong interpretation. Christian hope is

&onsidered# so ething that is $ased on the "hole of so&iety. 5esus didn4t die for the sa!e of only individuals# $ut for the "hole of hu anity. Thus the "hole of hu anity is eant to $e saved and

to hope for the salvation of all others. /nother "ay to see the salvation of the "hole of hu anity is to sho" that the "hole is redee ed for the purpose of reuniting those "ho have $een lost. +n this# the "hole of hu anity is redee ed so that "e ay all $e reunited to ea&h other and to .od.

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The fifth point tal!s a$out the transfor ation of Christian faith2hope in the The

odern age.

odern age has really distorted the "ay people loo! at faith2hope. 3o"adays# people loo! at atter, it is nothing that should $e ta!en to a higher atter the level of so&iety# need ain

faith as so ething that is purely a private

level of so&iety. This is a$surd# $e&ause any type of affairs# no so e sort of involve ent of faith. This &an $e

ade !no"n $e&ause of progress. The t"o

ideas of progress# reason and freedo # are &riti&al points to faith and to so&iety. Sin&e reason is a for&e of and for good# and freedo is $e&o ing ore fully hi self# then it a!es al ost &ertain eant to $e in the

sense that $oth faith# "hi&h is used to $etter oneself and $e&o e "hat one is eyes of .od# and so&iety# "hi&h is together.

eant for the $etter ent of all people# &an and should "or!

3e-t# the point that is $rought up is on the true shape of Christian hope. This is presented in the fa&t that Christian hope is &entered upon true love. +t is only through un&onditional love that hu ans are a$le to have any for of hope at all. (ut "hat is love' True un&onditional love# .od. +f love is .od# and hope is

"hi&h is also a$solute love# is .od and only &an &o e fro

&entered upon love# then to hope hu ans have to have a &enter of .od. To $e e-a&t# it is a&tually i possi$le to have true hope "ithout .od. Without .od the only !ind of hope a person have is a false hope. The seventh point is $ased on all the different !inds of settings for learning and pra&ti&ing hope. +n this point there are three su$2points# or ideas# that are of i portan&e. The first idea is prayer as a s&hool of hope. +f it is true that hu anity needs .od to have true hope# then there is a need for prayer. This is $e&ause prayer is the "ay hu anity &an &onne&t "ith .od, through spea!ing dire&tly to Hi . The se&ond idea is a&tions and suffering as settings for leaning hope. Ta!ing a&tion is a hopeful thing $e&ause it sho"s that hu anity has so e desire to a!e the ay

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"orld a $etter pla&e. /s for suffering# to suffer is so ething that is of hu an nature# and although it is i possi$le to dispose of# there possi$le. The last idea &o es fro idea &o es fro of ne" life. The last point tal!s a$out 6ary the Star of Hope. 6ary is the $ringer of all hope to 0arth. She# through her 8yes9 to .od# $rought into this "orld the one "ho &a e to save all of hu anity# 5esus Christ. She is the sour&e of hope not only for this# the /nnun&iation# $ut for her &ontinued hope and faith to"ards .od throughout her "hole life. This is i portant to hu anity# $e&ause 6ary is the !ey to heaven, hu anity &an find .od $y loo!ing to 6ary and follo"ing her e-a ple. While reading through Spe Salvi# + realized that there are t"o points that really stu&! out to e. The first point "as the first one# a$out faith $eing hope. Where + stand right no"# in ust $e hope that it &an $e over&o e as u&h as

5udg ent as a setting for learning and pra&ti&ing hope. This

the fa&t that hu anity is to hope for the &o ing of Christ and for the $eginning

referen&e to relationship "ith .od# is "ay $etter than it "as $efore + started s&hool here at :ran&is&an ;niversity. 6y faith has i ensely gro"n over these past < y faith gro"s no" onths or so. This y hope gro"s as "ell. + ore hopeful of ti es to

&onne&ts to that first point $e&ause + realize no" that as really $elieve no" that than!s to &o e. + no longer stress out too of e if + follo" hi "ith y deepening of

y faith# + a

u&h over the future# for + have learned that .od "ill ta!e &are

y "hole heart. e is the last one: 6ary as the Star of Hope.

The se&ond point that really sti&!s out to This really stru&! e $e&ause in the past

onth and a half + started the 6arian devotion ain prayers said

a&&ording to St. Louis de 6ontfort. The $iggest thing is that one of the

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throughout the "hole devotion is the /ve 6aris Stella. =uring the devotional + had read that hy n any ti es and had really divulged into it a fe" ti es# $ut + never really thought a$out it

in the sense that 6ary "as and is the person to turn to"ards "hen in need of hope, for she really is the Star of the Sea. So "hat "as the point of Spe Salvi' Well# throughout the eight addressed# there are a fe" $asi& ideas that are ain points that are

ade !no"n. The first is that hope is a ne&essity# ade

for it is part of faith and even in so e "ays the sa e thing as faith. /nother thing that is

!no"n a$out hope is that there is a differen&e in ideas of "hat hope "as in the ti e of the 3e" Testa ent and of the odern ti es. The third and last idea is that hope is i possi$le "ithout

.od and hope is easier to !no" through 6ary.