Dear Friends,

The theological virtue of hope is under attack. Nations shake with wars, economic crises, and political disruptions, and it’s tempting to get caught up in the cultural angst. Living with hope allows us to keep a proper detachment from worldly turmoil and live with clarity in all circumstances. As Pope Benedict XVI said, “The one who has hope lives differently” (Spe salvi 2).

In Scripture, Peter writes to a struggling community. They have wonderful faith but are being persecuted, marginalized, and martyred. Peter acknowledges their serious trials and articulates the power of hope:

We have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. (1 Pt 1:3-4)

Christians are empowered by the Lord to live from an awareness of who they are and what God has already accomplished. This is a bigger story than the daily troubles of the neighborhood or even our world. We will have tribulations. The world will shake until the Lord comes again. As situations intensify, we must live from the virtue of hope with the power of the Holy Spirit. This enables us to live differently—with joy—in difficult circumstances.

Consider St. Maximilian Kolbe. He was a priest in Auschwitz who offered his life to save a father with young children. The guards threw him in a cell with nine other people to starve to death. Human beings go mad in situations like that. It’s darkness, hopelessness, total despair. But into that darkness, St. Maximilian brought the light of the world. He brought hope and confidence about the destiny of potentially everyone in that cell. Instead of screaming and devouring each other, the prisoners sang. St. Maximilian led them in worship amid the darkest of circumstances. His trust in God gave him greater strength than all the powers of hell.

We need to run after Christ as he did. It’s not a matter of natural powers; it’s receiving and growing in God’s supernatural work in our lives. Paul reminds believers that “hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5).

The Holy Spirit gives us a new identity, purpose, destiny, and relationship with the Father. If we don’t live from that, it’s difficult when circumstances start going south. That’s when hopelessness, anger at God, and self-reliance surface, and that’s exactly where the devil wants to take people, because then they don’t threaten him. This is why we must live from the grace and strength God offers us.

Sometimes we put our trust in princes, but human beings can’t save us (Ps 146:3-4). We may have strong political or financial preferences, but at the end of the day, those things won’t save us. They will never give us unshakeable peace, joy, and confidence.

St. Paul asks God the Father to help us “know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might” (Eph 1:17-19).

Our inheritance comes with spiritual power to navigate all situations—no matter how difficult—and serve the Lord. That’s the normal Christian life. Are we accessing this power amid difficult times? We may still experience pain or fear, but can we push them back into their proper place? Jesus said it would be difficult, but nothing happens that God doesn’t ultimately permit. He will give us the necessary strength, which is found in faith, hope and love.

Something has been given to us that can never be taken away. To access it, we must read and reflect on Scripture. We must be in conversation with the Lord. We must regularly receive the sacraments.

Hope is not wishful thinking. It’s the confident expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promise and the saving work of Jesus to bring us home. Our hope is in a person who is alive forevermore. We are in a relationship; we are united to his body. This does not rely on our own strength.

God wants to help us be steady as his children. When St. Stephen was stoned, and when Paul lived through terrible circumstances, they never complained. They understood that this was all gold for them. Jesus said they would experience suffering and that they would experience the world’s rejection like He did. There is something amazing and beautiful in that.

Without hope—without seeing the cross as a gift that unites us with Christ and leads to salvation—it is easy to fall into complaining, depression, discouragement, or even despair. That is all normal in a fallen world. The Lord knows that, and He’s merciful and kind, but He doesn’t want us to stay there. With hope, we can keep looking forward. We can keep growing. We don’t need to go after the things of the world—money, power, and influence—to make our lives meaningful.

I see so many signs of hope.

About forty girls gather weekly for a 6:30 a.m. bible study in our office, even in the dead of winter. They love being with the Lord. I also see wonderful work being done by Renewal Ministries’ collaborators around the world. For instance, we’ve been working with Joseph Auno, from Uganda, for more than thirty years. Over 3500 priests have gone through week-long Life in the Spirit seminars that we have collaborated on with his community.

That’s astounding! Every priest touches thousands of people, and we wouldn’t have had the privilege of participating in it if we didn’t have hope in Christ’s message. That’s just one example among many, but in each case, it’s about God’s power. He sends us out, and He provides. We’ve had many trials along the way, but the Lord keeps opening doors, and good things are happening.

We want Renewal Ministries to be a conduit of hope—and our supporters are a great source of hope for us too. I’m inspired and humbled by the faith and heroism of our donors. We are connected to a missionary family, a spiritual family in the Lord. I’m grateful for the hope each of you inspires in me—thank you!

In Christ,

Peter Herbeck

P.S. I want to honor Dr. Mary Healy, a consultant to Renewal Ministries. Pope Francis recently appointed her as one of four new members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, an advisory board that directly serves the pope on matters of liturgy and sacraments. Let’s remember Mary in our prayers as she steps into this important position in service to the Holy Father and the entire Church.

This article originally appeared in Renewal Ministries March 2025 newsletter. Subscribe here!