Waiting With Hope

By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

“Patience is a virtue.” We need to be reminded of this often because waiting is hard. Even Jesus, in His humanity, experienced the difficulty of waiting for the fulfillment of God’s plan. 

“There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50)
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Jesus’ words give us a glimpse of the love and patience of His Sacred Heart. Love sent him down to earth to redeem us, but this required Him to enter time. He had to wait many years to show his disciples His way of life, to teach us His way of love.
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Suffering touches us in one way or another every single day. Learning to pick up our crosses as we walk with each other in this valley of tears is the journey of our lives.

​Sometimes this suffering will take the form of significant challenges, like an illness or the death of a loved one. But, often, we have a great opportunity to grow if we learn to suffer well through the smaller crosses God sends us every day, like learning to wait for God.

“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name -- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26). 
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Jesus knew the disciples would scatter after His death. He knew they would doubt His resurrection and tremble in fear behind locked doors after His ascension… so He gave them something to hold on to. The hope of this promise, the promise of the Father, would be the smoldering wick that would sustain them while they waited.

The time between the Last Supper and Pentecost must have felt like an eternity for those disciples who had left everything behind to follow Jesus. The waiting was difficult but necessary. They had to let go of whatever was still left of their own impressions, ideas, and plans. They had to empty themselves completely to make room for God in their hearts.

The night before Pentecost must have felt particularly long and dark. They were almost empty, wondering how long this waiting would last. I imagine them looking to Mary when their hope started to falter, their hearts saying, “Mother, turn your eyes of mercy towards us.” And then, in an instant, they would receive grace to wait a little longer. They would receive hope.

Jesus makes the same promise He made to His disciples to each of us today, and He waits with us. He waits for us. What will we do with the suffering God allows in our lives and in the lives of those we love?
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Let us turn to Our Mother, who is never far from us…

HAIL, Holy Queen,
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Mother of mercy,
​our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us.
And after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Pray for us, o Holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Amen.

Ivonne J. Hernandez

Ivonne is a Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, President of Elisheba House, and author of The Rosary: Eucharistic Meditations. She lives in Trinity, Florida, with her husband, Rick, and their children.