CIS NEWSLETTER  No. 39 - January 2007 Whither Hope? - A glimpse in the Theology of Hope With the start of each New Year, an underlying sentiment is that of hope: hope for better times, for new beginnings; this hope may motivate us to reflect on our lives and perhaps do some resolutions. Lest not it be an empty hope, on what foundation should our hope be? From an Ignatian point of view, a sign of consolation is 'every increase of faith, hope and love' (Sp. Ex. #316), so what is exactly our Christian Hope? Can it be distinguished from just another human virtue? Can there be a theology of hope? The idea of a theology of hope was deeply explored by Jurgen Moltmann, a Protestant theologian, way back in the sixties. Given the historical context, his work was greeted with an accolade of praise and enthusiasm by his peers due to the general optimistic mood of those times, but what Moltmann did was in fact to speak relevantly to a contemporary situation that is still valid (if not more so) today.  Come November, our liturgy readings are filled with visions from the Book of Revelation as the Church ponders on eschatology more known as the 'end of days'. If we are realistic, we feel far removed from the descriptions given of the white-robed virgins giving praise to the Lamb. For Moltmann, however, eschatology is not something that will eventually happen in the end of history but is something that is happening now! "…eschatology means the doctrine of the Christian hope, which embraces both the object hoped for and also the hope inspired by it. From first to last, and not merely in the epilogue, Christianity is eschatology, is hope, forward looking and forward moving, and therefore also revolutionising and transforming the present." (Intro, Theology of Hope) Christianity has as its very centre one event: God raising from the dead the crucified Christ. There is this contradiction between the resurrection and the cross - death and consequently new life and it is this tension of what we experience and what we actually hope for that stand in conflict to each other. As St Paul puts it in his letter to the Romans: "In hope, we already have salvation: in hope, not visibly present, or we should not be hoping - nobody goes on hoping for something which is already visible. But having this hope for what we cannot yet see, we are able to wait for it with persevering confidence." (Rom 8, 24-25) "Christian hope is a resurrection hope, and it proves its truth in the contradiction of the future prospects thereby offered and guaranteed for righteousness as opposed to sin, life as opposed to death, glory as opposed to suffering, peace as opposed to dissension… it is in this contradiction that hope must prove its power." (Intro, Theology of Hope) Moltmann contends that hope is the 'inseparable companion of faith': "Hope is nothing else than the expectation of those things which faith has believed to have been truly promised by God… faith is the foundation on which hope rests, hope nourishes and sustains faith." With this relationship, the sin of unbelief is also a sin against hope: "the other side of pride is hopelessness, resignation, inertia and melancholy… Temptation then consists not so much in the titanic desire to be as God, but in weakness, timidity, weariness, not wanting to be what God requires of us." (Ibid.) Moltmann distinguishes between two kinds of hopelessness: presumption that is a premature self-willed anticipation of the fulfilment of what we hope for from God and despair that is a premature, arbitrary anticipation of the non-fulfilment of what we hope from God. So how can this hope be lived in concrete terms? For Moltmann, the Christian does not take reality as prima facie but as progressing, moving with possibilities of change: "[Christian hope] sees reality and mankind in the hand of him whose voice calls into history from its end, saying 'Behold, I make all things new', and from hearing this word of promise it acquires the freedom to renew life here and to change the face of the world." (Ibid.) I have found many a resonance in the theology of hope with Ignatian spirituality: the sharing in Christ and His work in the coming of His kingdom: the struggle for social justice, for the dignity of man, for true and just relationships can only be valid from the coming kingdom of God.  Incidentally a document was published by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary and the role of Mary in the theology of grace and hope: the pattern of hope and grace foreshadowed in her will be fulfilled in the new creation in Christ. In the Magnificat, we find her speaking for all the poor and oppressed who yearn for God's reign of justice to be established and in her 'fiat' she had given her full yes for what God required of her even if it meant that it lead her to the foot of the cross. No wonder then that St. Ignatius has found it fitting that if we are to accept what God requires from us, we are to ask Mary for intercession to be given this particular grace (cf. Sp Ex 147) So Christian hope is not wishful thinking but it is a hope that "makes us ready to bear the 'cross of the present.' It can hold to what is dead, and hope for the unexpected. It can approve of movement and be glad of history…The world is not finished yet, but is understood as engaged in a history. It is therefore the world of possibilities, the world in which we can serve the future, promised truth in righteousness and peace." The work Theology of Hope by Jurgen Moltmann may be found online on:  http://www.pubtheo.com/page.asp?pid=1036  The Seattle Statement about the Blessed Virgin Mary can also be found online on: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/angl-comm-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20050516_mary-grace-hope-christ_en.html  Questions for reflection: What is your attitude towards hope in your life? How central to your personal faith is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? How do you look at the meaning of your life as partaking in the Church's mission for the coming of the kingdom of God? Have you ever considered Mary as an icon of grace and hope for you? Ms Louise Laferla Book Review   Paying attention to God - Discernment in Prayer, by William A. Barry SJ  Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press 1992, pp. 128. ISBN: 0-87793-414-2 0-87793-413-4 (pbk.) "I am convinced", notes the author in his Foreword, "that we encounter God in a mysterious way and that God wants a personal relationship with each one of us." Helping people pay attention to these encounters is the purpose of this book. In order to help recognize some of the barriers to a more intimate relationship with God, the author describes people's experiences of prayer as well as some of these conscious and unconscious barriers. In a down-to-earth and clear manner, Fr. Barry makes prayer believable and gives depth to our understanding of prayer by drawing on exciting insights from theology and philosophy. He also effectively opens up the issue of discernment in the Church in order to help people bring their actual experience of God to bear not only on their own spiritual lives, but on the whole Christian community. The fifteen topics dealt with fall naturally into four groupings: (i) Prayer as Personal Relationship, (ii) Prayer as Personal Discernment, (iii) Issues of Communal Discernment, and (iv) Death and Resurrection. A select annotated bibliography of works cited concludes this work which should prove useful both for individual reflection as well as for faith communities in their discernment. Profs Stanley Fiorini Prayer to Mary, Mother of Hope  Prayer of Pope John Paul II on 28 June 2003  To her, Mother of hope and consolation, we confidently lift up our prayer:  to her we entrust the future of the Church in Europe and the future of all the women and men of this continent:  Mary, Mother of hope, accompany us on our journey! Teach us to proclaim the living God; help us to bear witness to Jesus, the one Savior; make us kindly towards our neighbours, welcoming to the needy, concerned for justice, impassioned builders of a more just world; intercede for us as we carry out our work in history, certain that the Father's plan will be fulfilled. Dawn of a new world, show yourself the Mother of hope and watch over us! Watch over the Church in Europe: may she be transparently open to the Gospel; may she be an authentic place of communion; may she carry out fully her mission of proclaiming, celebrating and serving the Gospel of hope for the peace and joy of all. From the CIS Programme Jannar 2007  Irtir/Workshop fuq ir-Rabja Fil-hajja taghna jistghu jigru hafna affarijiet li jweggghuna, jirrabjawna u jimlewna b'hafna sens ta' htija li jhawduna u johdulna l-paci minn qalbna. Din is-sitwazzjoni tant difficli tista' tghinna nikbru! Dan il-weekend joffri spazju u ambjent ta' accettazzjoni u tolleranza biex naqsmu l-esperjenza taghna... filwaqt li nhallu 'l Alla jghinna nsibu l-paci u s-sens ta' din it-tbatija interjuri f'hajjitna.  Data:           Mill-Gimgha 19 ta' Jannar fis-6.00pm sal- Hadd 21, fil-5.00pm  Post:           Mount St Joseph Retreat House,Mosta Imexxu:       Fr. Vince Magri S.J. flimkien ma' Ms Mary Cassar u Ms Polly Schembri  Weekend Seminar (In English) on The letter to the Galatians and Select Themes from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius  St Paul's letter to the Galatians is commonly considered to be the 'Magna Carta' of Christian freedom. It could be viewed as Paul's passionate exposition on the basic principles of Christianity which he later set out more calmly and thoughtfully in his letter to the Romans. What is at stake is the basic issue of whether we are saved completely free of charge by Christ's gift of himself and all that we need to transform us into Himself, or whether we could ever justify ourselves independently of His grace. However, in no way does this tenet of Christianity block us form cooperating with God's gift. Indeed, we are called to freedom towards God and others, and not towards self-centredness; hence the letter to the Galatians urges us to delve into practical Christianity. In this seminar (where there will also be time for personal reflection and/or prayer), themes similar to those found in the letter to the Galatians will be examined from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. Date:          From Friday 26th January, at 8.30 pm till Sunday 28th, 5.00pm Place:        Mt St Joseph Retreat House, Mosta  Given by:   Prof. Anthony J. Frendo (Professor in Scripture and Biblical Archaeology) Frar 2007   Irtiri ta' Weekend ghall-Mizzewgin  Dan il-Weekend huwa okkazjoni ghall-dawk il-koppji mizzewga li jixtiequ jgeddu u jiccelebraw il-weghdiet taz-zwieg taghhom. Din hija esperjenza spiritwali b'differenza. Il-Weekend huwa mfassal li jkun kreattiv u jghin lill-partners jirriflettu u jitolbu flimkien. Ikun hemm hin ta' sharing fi grupp maghmul minn 8 koppji. Dan il-Weekend joffri lill-koppji partecipanti opportunita' sabiex jiskopru dejjem aktar l-imhabba li Alla ghandu ghall-mizzewgin u l-familji taghhom Dati:           Mill-Gimgha 16 ta' Frar, fis-6.00 pm sal-Hadd 18, fil-5.00 pm Post:          Mount St. Joseph Retreat House - Mosta  Imexxu:      Il-Koppja Carmen u Karm Conti u Fr. Vince Magri S.J. Important Notice Due to technical difficulties, the December edition of our newsletter reached only a limited number of subscribers. We would like to excuse ourselves for this. The edition will be online on www.cismalta.org in the relevant archive. The Editorial Team.