Our Mother of Holy Hope is depicted in this traditional image. COURTESY OF THE PASSIONIST NUNS

Editor’s note: In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope, The Western Kentucky Catholic has launched Pilgrims of Hope, a yearlong blog series inspired by Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025: “My thoughts turn to all those pilgrims of hope who will travel to Rome in order to experience the Holy Year and to all those others who, though unable to visit the City of the Apostles Peter and Paul, will celebrate it in their local Churches.” Blog reflections will be written by individuals from across the Diocese of Owensboro, sharing their unique perspectives on the virtue of hope in a world that so greatly needs it.

BY SR. BETHANY MARIE BLAND, CP

This image is one dear to the Passionist Congregation it was originally given to our founder, St. Paul of the Cross, by Pope Clement XIV. It soon became a common practice that every bedroom in a Passionist monastery would have this picture in it, a practice the Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery have recently picked up. It is entitled Our Mother of Holy Hope, and at its center is the cross. Maybe this seems a little paradoxical to associate hope with the cross. The cross was in fact the moment of Our Lord’s seeming defeat and Our Lady’s greatest suffering. Yet in this picture the toddler Jesus is gripping the cross and Mary is holding it out to us.

The same phenomenon takes place during a Passionist Mass of profession, the wedding day of a young religious. After professing her vows the woman receives a crown of thorns on her head and a cross on her shoulder. What a thing to give to a bride on her wedding day!

We can begin to understand both statements through the lens of hope. Pope Francis has called us to be pilgrims of hope during this year of Jubilee but what does hope mean and what does it have to do with the cross? To answer I turn to my favorite book of all time The Wellspring of Worship by Fr. Jean Corbon, OP. In his chapter on the Passion Fr. Corbon reminds us that every religion, philosophy, ethical system, except for Christianity falls short, for none of them can answer man’s deepest fear and question, “I exist… but I exist for death at every moment and in the final moment,” (pg. 43). While not a nice subject to ponder it is true we will all die, it is inevitable. This reality can be overwhelming, and for many in today’s world without faith suffering and death is overwhelming, a reality that many run from and try to avoid at all cost. Or in the face of suffering they choose death in order to escape suffering. Neither way is the way of the Christian, the way of hope. Why? Because of the cross. Because Jesus Christ who is God made man has come to earth and died on the cross in order to save us from death. Allow me a longer quote here:

“ In Jesus alone does God become event for man, because in him alone God comes to be with men: not in a half-hearted way by preaching a marvelous good news, but unreservedly, by drinking the cup of our death; not by doing good things for us in a somewhat distant way, thus making us more irresponsible than ever, but by freely offering us a share, even now, in his incorruptible life, provided that we likewise agree to enter into his love-inspired death that alone destroys our death. Jesus conquers death by his death and thereby bestows his life on us- that is the most important event in all of history: his Cross and his Resurrection,” (pg. 46).

It is through the cross that Jesus gives us eternal life. Through the cross Jesus dies for us so that, though we may die physically, we do not die eternally. We have hope, which is not wishful thinking like, “I hope I win the lottery,” but it is an assurance of what has been promised to us, a foretaste of what Christ has won for us: eternal life, eternal happiness with him in Heaven.  It is that promise, and only that promise that can lead us through any trial or suffering. For any other promise will fall short, all things pass away, but Jesus Christ, and his promise will not pass away. The cross, his suffering and death, is the sign and the seal of his eternal covenant that he will save us and help us.

In theology the seat of hope is in the memory, faith is in the intellect, and love in the will. Hope is in the memory since we are forgetful creatures and we must constantly call to mind, remember, the good realities God has placed before us lest we forget and lose heart.  Maybe you’ve also had this experience, upon figuring out a problem I have I say to myself, “I understand everything now! I got it! My problem is solved.” So, I write it down so I won’t forget. I then read through previous journal entrees and there I find one month prior I have written: “I understand everything now! I got it! My problem is solved.” (Referring to the exact same problem.) Again, I find the same thing a week before that, and four weeks before that. How forgetful we are!

While it is one thing to forget the solutions to our problems it is entirely different to do it with Christ’s Passion, this is why it is vital to remember the Passion so we are constantly reminded of our redemption, of how we are loved, so we can have hope and we can live like pilgrims of hope. To remember the Passion is to always remember the promise of eternal life in Heaven where we will see God face to face. This is why a Passionist Nun holds tightly the cross placed on her shoulder during her profession Mass, for she has vowed to promote devotion to and a grateful remembrance of the Passion. She has vowed to be a witness of hope to offer her suffering and to pray that all people may find this hope in the world. This is why Mary and Jesus hold out the cross for us to grab a hold of, why the picture is entitled Our Mother of Holy Hope for Mary is our Mother and desires to present us and lead us to the fulfillment of our hope and she knows from experience that the way to do this is through the cross our only hope.

Suggestions on how to remember the Passion and cultivate hope:

• Place a crucifix on your pillow every morning after making your bed. This way at least two times a day, making and unmaking your bed, you have to crucifix before you. Every time you move the crucifix venerate the crucifix with a kiss.
• In your suffering try to connect it to a part of Christ’s Passion and in prayer unite it to him. If you have a headache unite it with the crowning of thorns. If you experienced rejection unite it with Jesus rejected by his own people in the crowds before Pilate.
• Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet everyday, at least in part.

Sr. Bethany Marie Bland is a Passionist Nun of St. Joseph Monastery in Whitesville.

To learn more about the Diocese of Owensboro’s celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 visit https://owensborodiocese.org/jubilee-year-pilgrims-of-hope/.