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FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY
This Advent we begin the Year of Jubilee dedicated to a Pilgrimage of Hope. Two significant themes of Pope Francis' papacy are herein connected: that the church is composed of people on the move, and the modern need for uplifted hearts.
The need for hope hardly needs parsing. Climate change, multiple wars, arsenals of nuclear arms, the rise of depression and anxiety disorders, social division, widespread addiction, and disillusionment with institutions that once held our trust combine to make the most optimistic among us doubtful about the future. Energy flows where attention goes; relentless news cycles fixate us in a state of ongoing crisis. 
Hope is the precise opposite force. While media sources are concerned less with truthfulness and impact, and more with soliciting attention and ad revenue, hope centers on human motivation. As one of three things that last in Saint Paul's memorable listing, hope is also called "food for the journey" by Cistercian abbot Aelred of Rieveaulx. Fear paralyzes us in our tracks, whereas hope liberates us to move confidently into the unknown in the sure company of the God who saves.
So it's apt to see ourselves as pilgrims of hope, taking bold steps into the world of tomorrow. If hope is the necessary food for our journey, we have to take some responsibility for the avenues which supply this meal. A steady diet of news crawls probably won't be a good resource. How will you dine on hope this coming year?
—Alice Camille,
reprinted with permission from TrueQuest Communications
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