Sister Margaret Atkins, an Augustinian sister and theologian from Boarbank Hall in Cumbria, gave this wonderful talk on Christian hope at the Adoremus National Eucharistic Congress held at Oscott College on Saturday, 14 September 2024.
Sr Margaret examines how belief in God changes our idea of hope, and looks at Christian Hope – with a capital ‘H’ – and how this shapes our smaller Christian hopes:
“How does the great Hope, the hope with a capital ‘H’, the hope in God’s purposes that ultimately leads us to peace with God, with reconciled humanity, with all creation, and that ultimate and lasting peace that we call heaven, link to our smaller hopes – those we share with every other person, whether they’re religious or not?
“The great Hope gives us a bigger picture. It gives us a context for our smaller hopes. It gives us an infinite dimension which can begin to satisfy us. It gives us the confidence to keep going when our smaller hopes fail.
“Only the great certitude of hope that my own life, and history in general, despite all failures, are held firm by the indestructible power of love, can give the courage to act and to persevere.
“The great Hope also shapes the smaller hopes. Christian life is a journey, a journey of growth and change. To use Pope Benedict’s language, the great Hope purifies the smaller hopes, so they become more and more aligned with God’s purposes… Christian hope is open-ended, it’s open-hearted, it’s open-minded, because God’s purpose and God’s imagination are always bigger than ours.”
Sister Margaret examines how this relates to Mass and the Eucharist, reflecting on the prayer over the gifts of the offertory, and explaining how the Bread of Life – the source and summit of our faith – sustains the Church and her people:
“The Sacrament, as we eat it, turns into us, becomes part of our body. And we, through grace, become the Body of Christ, the Church. Just pause on that… We become the Body of Christ, the Church. So the whole of creation, human labour, the prayer of the priest and the congregation, God’s grace, combine for this so that people of all kinds, all races, all languages, all ages, all status and conditions, people who don’t know each other, people who would never bump into each other apart from the Mass, people all over the globe can become brothers and sisters in Christ.”
