Hope Does Not Disappoint, Even If We Are Disappointed

When Pope Francis declared the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, I read his papal bull, Spes Non Confudit, which means “Hope does not disappoint.” I highly encourage you to read Pope Francis’ writing on this, as well as any letters written by a pope when they declare something special for a particular year. 

As Pope Francis, our shepherd, cared for his flock, he recognized the need for renewed hope. We read in Scripture that hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5), but what does that mean for people who feel hopeless, marriages that are hanging on by a thread, people in stage IV cancer, countries torn apart by war, or political parties constantly at each other’s throats? Life seems hopeless at times. Pope Francis was not writing about a hope we already have. He was drawing our attention to the need for renewed hope.  

Hope is not simply the virtue slipped in between faith and love. It has a particular purpose. The Holy Father wrote that the daughter of hope is “patience” (Spes Non Confundit). In the same way a mother produces sons and daughters, the offspring of a life of hope is growth in the virtue of patience. Yet technology is constantly working toward eliminating our practice of patience.

Gone are the days of waiting for a package to come in the mail thanks to two-day delivery. We have the option to pay extra for a fast pass at amusement parks, but as a kid, my favorite memories with my family on vacation were those conversations and stories shared while standing in long lines. We also have appliances like microwaves and air fryers for quick meals, but this takes the place of more family time in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong — these are all great technological advancements, but they impact our practice of patience. 

I am a Catholic singer/songwriter and music minister, and I have sung for hundreds of funerals over the years. I have come to observe hope at its most powerful when someone loses a loved one. Because we believe in the mercy of God, we can hope to be reunited with that loved one. Without hope, where would we find consolation in our grief? The promise of eternal life is hope itself.  

Hope for Our Children  

I give many retreats, days of reflection, and prayer concerts. Wherever I go, people ask me to pray for their children (I don’t know why they think my prayers are any more influential than their own, but … ). Maybe you have serious concerns about your own children. Can we hope in God, knowing that, as much as we want our children to go back to church, turn back to a virtuous life, stop doing drugs, find better friends, God wants it more? We are called to trust in a God who has our children in the palm of His hand, even if we don’t witness their conversion in our lifetime. Because of the love of God and the promise of God’s mercy, we can hope that our children who have strayed will be led back to the faith. The virtue of hope for our children is immeasurable. 

When I was younger, I thought hope was something you did when there was nothing else that could be done. “His prognosis is not good, so all we can do is hope.” This could not be further from the truth. Even in dire circumstances, we have a God who loves us. Consider the silversmith who holds the silver in the heat of the fire to burn out all impurities, the silversmith’s hands never let go of the silver, and the silversmith’s eyes watch the silver the entire time it’s in the heat so it is not destroyed.

In the same way, in the hottest of moments, our God does not let us go. In our challenges, we can hope that, just like silver or gold tested in fire, when fully refined, the Creator will see His reflection in the refined metal: us. We live in hope even during the most difficult times because God can create good from all things.  

The Power of Sharing Hope with the Hopeless 

As we contemplate this virtue, Pope Francis also called us to give hope to those whose lives seem hopeless through the corporal acts of mercy. In the prayer often attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, we are reminded that it is in giving that we receive. Perhaps it is in serving others and offering hope to the hopeless that we will find hope for ourselves.  

For the Jubilee of Hope, our writers reflect on prayer as a source of hope in their lives.

Copyright 2025 Lorraine Hess
Images: Holy Cross Family Ministries