‘God lit a candle of hope for each of us. It’s not waiting in a window somewhere or around a bend. God lit it right inside us so that we need not ever live one moment without it.’ ~Vickie Girard

Hope is a word we sometimes throw around a lot. We often say that we live in hope or that we hope for the best. When the word hope is used to mean everything and anything, it can lose some of its impact. It never loses impact when used in a faith context. Hope is the voice that God uses to speak to our hearts.

It is not a product, you can’t buy it and it is always a part of humanity and the human journey. In many ways hope is prayer. Without it you have nothing and with it you have so many possibilities. During these days of Lent we must have hope. We put our trust and hope in God to guide us through these weeks of reflection.

We pray that Lent will be a journey that will point us to healthy new beginnings. We pray for the courage to let go of what is stale and whatever needs to be let go of. Most importantly we pray that hope will be the energy and inspiration to guide us safely through each day.

We pray for hope in your life. We pray for hope in your family. We pray for hope in those closest and nearest to you. We pray for hope in all our young people making their confirmation during these weeks of Lent. We pray for hope for Irish people living all over the world as we mark St Patrick’s Day next Friday. We pray especially for hope and especially when we need it the most.