“Expectant hope goes much further than just tomorrow morning.” We use the term ‘hope‘ widely when we expect some improvement or some positive outcome. Yet, in the Christian faith, there is a clear distinction between hope and expectant hope. At the Notre-Dame de Montligeon shrine, in the Sanctuaires normands program broadcast on RCF Orne-Calvados-Manche, Don Maurice clarifies this key difference. He shows that Christian hope is not subject to circumstances. It is rooted in faith in eternal life. This distinction changes the way we go through trials, support and counsel those who suffer and hope, including when it comes to our deceased.
Hope and expectant hope cover two separate realities
Don Maurice starts by pointing to a linguistic ambiguity [in the French language]: “We use the same verb for both realities.”
On the one hand, hope has to do with the events of everyday life. It refers to what we would like to see happen in the near future, without certainty, eg.: ”Tomorrow, I’m going for a walk and I’m confident that the weather will be fine.” Such hope depends on the circumstances. It expresses a desire, although fragile, sometimes uncertain.
Whereas expectant hope is on another level. ”Expectant hope goes much further than tomorrow morning. It is not affected by changes in the material circumstances. It’s rooted in the Christian faith.“ “Expectant hope is the Christian expectation, supported by faith in eternal life.“ It is based on God’s love for everyone, and on the desire to enter the eternal life promised to us.
This type of hope is neither vague nor abstract. It is expressed through prayer and in the teachings of the Church. “When you recite your rosary, the fruits of the mystery of the Ascension express your firm expectation of heavenly goods.“ The difference between hope and expectant hope then becomes clear: one applies to temporary realities, the other steers your entire existence towards a final fulfillment.
“Expectant hope is rooted in faith.“
Why do we hope?
This human life doesn’t only have good sides, let’s admit it. We all face challenges, trials, limits. The first reason that fuels our need to hope is to be able to hold on in the face of hardships. It’s not about creating an imaginary refuge where everything will be better.
The second reason is more subtile. The awareness of an afterlife and that there is something to expect is deeply rooted in us. This intuition runs throughout human history, as shown by the archaeological paintings in the Lascaux caves. Seventeen thousand years BCE, those works uniquely reflect the life of prehistorical men during the Upper Paleolithic: the experts have detected a belief in a form of afterlife that existed then already.
Such awareness does not reflect a psychological need. “Our need for expectant hope is not something we have made up to get things to improve.“ It is part of human consciousness, regardless of the civilizations. Atheism and the denial of an afterlife have emerged quite late in history. “Prior to them, all communities had always believed in an afterlife.“
At that point, Christian faith steps in to accomplish this deeper expectation. It does not create it, it enlightens it, giving it a definite substance.
Christian expectation and God’s promise
Why is there a decline of expectant hope in our days?
Christian [expectant] hope is not based on a personal projection. It is rooted in a promise received “from the God of Abraham, from the God of Isaac, from the God of Jacob, and then from the God of Jesus Christ“. In the biblical Revelation, expectant hope is part of a long history, transmitted and announced.
Don Maurice quotes St John’s Gospel: “I’m going to prepare a place for you, and when I’ve prepared it, I’ll come back and take you with me.“ These words are the foundation of our expectation of eternal life. It is based on a certainty: “We know Christ’s love for us. We know God’s love for us.“
Which means that Christian expectant hope is not a subjective construct. “Not because we make it up, but because we know, because it has been announced to us.“ The difference between hope and expectant hope clearly emerges here. Hope remains uncertain, whereas expenctant hope is based on a word received, believed and passed on.
This hope guides our daily lives. “I know that I am called to live this eternal life, and so I expect to live it.” It influences our choices, priorities and how we get through trials.
“Faith, expectant hope and charity are gifts from God“. These gifts are offered to those who ask for and desire them. When atheism or agnosticism become widespread, those gifts are no longer asked of God.
The first centuries of Christianity unfolded in deeply religious societies. “When you look at how Saint Paul spread the Gospel, this took place in religious societies.“ The number of conversions kept growing, particularly in Rome, through gradual dissemination.
Starting from 19th and 20th centuries onwards, the context changed. “This religious foundation got swept away by materialism.“ Modern ideologies promise solely happiness on earth. “Happiness is on earth, no longer in heaven.“ In the circumstances, believing, hoping and loving require a demanding commitment. Conversely, the pursuit of material pleasure looks easier. The way we have changed partly explains our difficulty in understanding the difference between hope and expectant hope.
Health versus holiness
With New Year just around the corner, our wishes often focus on health. Even if “I wish you a good health” is important, saying “I wish you holiness” is preferable.
As an example, Don Maurice recounts a discussion with an elderly nun to whom he had wished to die to go to Heaven and be with God. Although unsettling, his words triggered some thinking. Entering this Heaven we’ve always hoped for is not a loss. It is the fulfillment of those who gave their life.
Don Maurice does not starkly contrast health and expectant hope. He admits the material reality. “A minor health accident brought me here and made me realize how important health is too.“ For family life, for work, for daily responsibilities, health is necessary. “But health is not essential if it is not used towards achieving holiness.”
The difference between hope and expectant hope here is clearly revealed here in the priorities. One deals with the smooth running of earthly life. The other directs that life towards its ultimate goal.
Hoping and expecting for the suffering and for the deceased
What can be said to those who non longer expect anything from life? “First of all, I I think I shouldn’t tell them anything. I’ll start by listening to them.“ Many people suffer from not being able to share their loneliness and distress. Listening already helps to help them overcome isolation. Simply being able to talk or get heard alleviates some of the suffering.
Next comes presence, then the proclamation of the Gospel. “Bringing some comfort does matter,“ he says. Drawing on his experience as a parish priest, Don Maurice quotes St. Paul: “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.“ Christian expectation does not do away with everyday problems. It just places them in a broader perspective, focused on God’s promise.
At the shrine Notre-Dame de Montligeon, this expectant hope extends to the deceased too. “We cannot have faith for other people. We cannot love in their place. But we can hope for others.“ Such possibility is specific to expectant hope. It allows us to hope for those who no longer have hope on this earth, and for those who have died. The Lord, in His mercy, allows a time of purification and makes it possible for the living to play a role this mercy – through prayer. Prayer becomes a way of maintaining affection and tenderness beyond death.
Entering into a living hope devoid of naive optimism
In order to live an expectant hope in a just manner, we should turn to the Lord. “Lord, I believe, but help my faith. to grow.“ Expectant hope is rooted in the faith in eternal life. The more faith grows, the more stable and focused expectant hope becomes. It’s not supported by a feeling, but by a living relationship with God.
However, we should stay vigilant as there two opposing excessive attitudes. On the one hand, the sadness resulting from despair. On the other, blissful optimism that denies pain. The Church offers a balance. It allows us to hold together the pain of separation and the light of expectant hope. Considering the passion and the resurrection together ensures that we don’t take the wrong path. Such tension avoids both being crushed by sadness and the illusion that happiness can go without ordeals. Only the Church can provide this balance, by helping each person to go through pain in the light of expectant hope, and to await the promised encounter with Christ.
The difference between hope and expectant hope enlightens Christian life. Hope has to do with everyday life. Expectant hope opens the door onto what remains unchanged. Rooted in faith and supported by prayer, expectant hope allows us to overcome ordeals and live our life by looking towards eternal life now.
