"“Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness." Pope Francis

Pope Francis calls us to always be pilgrims of hope. For our life is in Christ Jesus, the source of our hope. So often we can be like the Apostles, who seemed to lose hope after Jesus' crucifixion. They failed to remember his words to them that he would rise on the third day. Their lack of hope was evidenced in the two disciples leaving Jerusalem after the crucifixion.  They were downcast. Only after Jesus joined them on their journey and explained the scriptures to them and broke bread, did they recognized that it was the Lord. Their hope was restored. Sometimes we too allow the circumstances of our lives to dampen the flame of hope in our hearts. We too need to return to the Word of God and the promises of God. We too need to celebrated the Eucharist. It is in his Word and in his Gift that our hope will be restored.