What is Hope? - a human perspective (by Fr William F Lynch S.J. - Images of Hope: Imagination as Healer of hopeless)

• The nature of Hope
• Is to imagine what has not yet come but still is possible
• Is our Expectation & Desire combined
• Hope imagines the Real vs day dreaming
• Imagination forms a mental image of external object not present to the sense

• Hope can wait - like a child - stick it out; that something will happen and I can in some way influence that. May be hang on.
• Imagination helps us find a method, a way out.

• Hope can only be achieved with another one or group. It occurs with others - man or God. E.g. our kids/next generation

• Wishing is central to Hope
• Believe in the details - take the next step
• Be aware "What's the use?" - can be negative: Despair, Hopelessness, Madness

Hope - a spiritual perspective

• 望德 (Hope as in Faith, Love, Hope)
• 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.
• Believe Christ loves us/die for us hence share the Heaven with us
• Hope to come to Heaven
• Christian Hope unfolds from the beginning of Jesus' preaching in the proclamation of the Beatitudes
• Hope is expressed and nourished in prayer, especially in the prayer "Our Father", the summary of everything that Hope leads us to desire.

Quotes from participants

• Hope is an attitude ("Hunters?story" - as wolf's food or a million dollar to hunt)
• Hope is related to our ideal, is like a star that guides our way through life.
• Hope for the best we can possibly get for ourselves of course, also for the best for our family, our society, our country and our international community. A true understanding of life is the only way to ensure our hope for the best is not built on quicksand or is but ephemeral and illusive. Only education can achieve this kind of understanding, particularly education in humanities and social sciences.
• Hope for the best and prepare for the worst
• Think Globally; act locally.
• Dare to imagine - What can be imagined can be achieved. (from Disney)
• 人到無求品自高 - 知足常樂
• When God close one door, He opens another door.
• Hope is the source of energy, action. There is different wishes in different stages of life, and requires continual refinement (不斷修正)
• 希望小, 失望小 -人到無求無所失
• Hope is "injected" from the above
• I wake up everyday in the morning "For the Greater Glory of God" - A.M.D.G.

RESULT:

Every participant left the Xavier House with more Hope, a happier "man".

----- END -----