Today’s first reading and the Gospel are filled with Hope. What glorious readings we have today, as Holy Mother Church pilgrims moving through this Jubilee year of Hope. St Paul reminds us in Romans 5:5 ‘and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.’
How does one define Hope? An eager expectation or faithful anticipation of a possible Solution? The Church is clear on its teaching on this cardinal virtue ‘Hope.’ Hope equals Eternity. Every other definition falls short of this. CCC 1817 Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
As we take a deep dive into today’s readings, we do see Eternity written all over them.
The Parting of the Red Sea
In the first reading taken from Exodus 14, we see a dire and hopeless situation; the people who obeyed Moses and were instructed by God and started their Exodus into the Promised Land through the Desert and behold they come across a Dire Hopeless situation. A vast expanse of sea on one side and the valiant army of Pharoh on the other side pursuing them. Humanly speaking there is no way out. If God does not act now, the people will go back into Slavery.
God acts and redeems his people by parting the Red Sea for the Israelites and drowning their Pursuers in the same Red Sea. What just happened? Thanks to St Paul, we know that this act of God is a foreshadow of our Baptism. 1 Corinthians 10 :1-4 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,[a] that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
CCC 1221 But above all, the crossing of the Red Sea, literally the liberation of Israel from the slavery of Egypt, announces the liberation wrought by Baptism:
You freed the children of Abraham from the slavery of Pharaoh,
bringing them dry-shod through the waters of the Red Sea,
to be an image of the people set free in Baptism. 16
This is Hope, when every hope was lost, when mankind wallowed in Sin, God in his Son Jesus the Messiah (Christ, The Anointed) came to redeem us by his own blood. In and through Baptism, the sacrament that came forth from the side of Jesus when his body was pierced, we are transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness (The Evil grip of Pharoh and his Army) into the Kingdom of God ( The Promised Land Cannan flowing with Milk and Honey)
I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1
CCC 2156. The sacrament of Baptism is conferred “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” 85. In Baptism, the Lord’s name sanctifies man, and the Christian receives his name in the Church. This can be the name of a saint, that is, of a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord. The patron saint provides a model of charity; we are assured of his intercession. The “baptismal name” can also express a Christian mystery or Christian virtue. “Parents, sponsors, and the pastor are to see that a name is not given which is foreign to Christian sentiment.”86
John 20:16 ‘16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,[a] “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).’
In the Gospel reading, when our resurrected Lord called ‘Mary,’ he takes ownership of her i.e., Mary is incorporated into the body of Christ, which is Baptism. For a minute, Mary was in a hopeless state, the stone from the tomb removed and her Master missing. God in Christ Jesus appears and fills her with Hope in calling her by Name (You are mine).
This is Hope, my dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ. In fact, a Christian can never be Hopeless, since he/she has the Promised Baptismal Seal that assures us of Eternity when we cooperate with the sacramental Graces. What great Joy is it to know that Eternity is Assured!
Prayer
Loving Father in Heaven, we come into your presence in the name of your dear Son and our Redeemer Jesus Christ. We thank you for this amazing plan that you have for each and every one of us, and for initiating this plan through Baptism. We are Hope-filled to know that we belong to you and that you call each and every one by name. May we always cooperate with the sacramental graces as we journey one day at a time towards our Eternal promise. In Jesus Most Holy name we pray, Amen!
