Hope: Active, Not Passive

Hope is more than a wish. It’s the courage to stay positive, even when life tests us.

We all remember how, during the pandemic, our hope was stretched thin. Even today, as disasters strike — like the recent flooding of the Ravi river in Punjab that devastated entire communities — people still hold on to hope.

But here’s the key: there are two kinds of hope.

  • Passive Hope: Waiting, wishing, praying — but doing nothing.
  • Active Hope: Doing everything you can, then surrendering the rest to God.

If you’re preparing for an exam, passive hope says, “I’ll pray and hope to pass.”
Active hope says, “I’ll study hard and pray for God’s blessing on my effort.”

At the Wedding of Cana, Mother Mary didn’t just hope the situation would resolve. She noticed the need, asked Jesus to step in, and created the miracle moment. That is active hope.

And that’s why we go on pilgrimages to Mary — our spiritual mother. Just like children run to their mothers first, knowing she’ll move heaven and earth to help them, we run to Mother Mary with our hopes.

So don’t just sit on hope. Make it happen.
Plan, prepare, and work. Then trust God to do the rest.

✨ Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

📖 Three Parables of Hope in Today’s World

1️⃣ The Job Seeker’s Shoes 👞

Arjun was unemployed for months. Every day he prayed for a job, but stayed at home scrolling his phone. One day, his friend told him: “God can’t drive a parked car.”
That hit him hard. He started applying, upskilling, and networking. Within weeks, he landed a role.
👉 Lesson: Hope works when you move your feet.

2️⃣ The Marathon Runner 🏃‍♀️

Nisha signed up for a marathon but barely trained. On race day she hoped her “energy” would carry her. She collapsed at kilometer 10. The next year, she trained daily, ate right, and still prayed for strength. She not only finished — she inspired others to run.
👉 Lesson: Hope fuels you, but discipline gets you to the finish line.

3️⃣ The Farmer and the Flood 🌾

During a flood, a farmer’s fields were destroyed. His neighbor gave up, saying, “What’s the point?” But the farmer cleared the debris, replanted, and trusted God for rain. Months later, his harvest fed not just his family, but the entire village.
👉 Lesson: Active hope rebuilds even when everything seems lost.

✨ Food for Thought

Hope is like yeast in bread. Alone, it’s invisible. But when mixed with action, it rises, nourishes, and fills life with flavor.

Homily Credit: St Blaise Church, Amboli