Was the virtue of hope possible to Jesus Christ? Not in its proper sense, for the primary object of the virtue of hope is the possession of God. Nevertheless, as Man He hoped in God (Psalm 21:1), and with a hope which is the perfect example which we should seek to imitate. No one ever had the perfect confidence in God that He had, and therefore no one ever possessed so firm or so intense a hope as He. Help me, O Lord, to have a perfect confidence in Thee, a keen desire after Thee, for then my hope can not fail.
What was the object of Jesus' hope? It was the glory of His Sacred Humanity. His Human Nature made like to ours. He took upon Him our sinful nature, sin only excepted. On earth His Sacred Humanity was in a state of exile, in a condition of servitude, waiting to be freed from the bondage of corruption and to be brought into the full liberty of the Eternal Son of God. So we should long for heaven, and strengthen our hope by the thought of coming bliss.
What was the glory and happiness after which His Sacred Humanity longed? It was no personal glory or splendor such as men long for on earth. It was an unselfish happiness, the happiness of making others happy; the glory of seeing around Him those whom He had redeemed from sin and death by all that He suffered in His Sacred Humanity. It was on this that His hopes were fixed; this was the joy of heaven to His Human Nature. Shall we in Heaven share His joy? Have we cause for hoping that we shall be surrounded by those whom our prayers or good example or labors have brought back from sin?
- text from Beautiful Pearls of Catholic Truth; it has the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael Augustine Corrigan, Diocese of New York, 6 October 1897