John 1:1-14
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Romans 8:22-30
Hope for What We Do Not Yet Have
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
1 Corinthians 15:19
Hope in Jesus
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
The gospel and New Testament writers give us pause and make us think very deeply about hope and about mystery...
St. Paul wrote about Hope...We know that all of creation has always been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time...People have for two thousand years have read about Jesus and about the Spirit and wonder about this mystery...And we await in this hope, and it is a Great Hope...For in this One Particular Hope, we are saved...But hope that is seen is no hope at all...Who hopes for what they already have and in what they have seen?...But if we hope for what we do not yet have and do not quite know, we wait for it patiently -even though we do not understand this Great Mystery...
God has bridged the gap for the hopeless with Hope...If the completely hopeless were to be given hope, what would that be like?...The Word becoming flesh is a mystery to all of us...But I believe that is what is like to bring hope for the hopeless...When the Word became flesh, then Hope became flesh that day and it is a story of a wish coming true...A story of Hope coming true is His Story...Who has ever brought this much hope to those who feel so hopeless?...So the mystery of the hopeless came true when the Word became flesh...God is on the side of the hopeless...And we read about this in the gospels and in His teachings...