Nurturing Hope - "Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." (Isaiah 40:31)

No one can live without hope. To be human is to be hopeful. Pope Francis reminds us that true hope is not built on human words but on God's Word and His promise of salvation. This trust is based on what He has done for us in His Son Jesus, through His Death and Resurrection. He goes on to say, "great hope is rooted in faith, and it is precisely for this reason that it is able to go beyond all hope. Yes, because it is based not on our word, but on the Word of God."

As a Catholic system, we are here to nurture hope, to learn how Jesus used the image of the kingdom of God to express the content of our hope. He uses parables, images, and symbols to describe what is eternal and invisible to the human eye. In Catholic schools, we have the opportunity to ask about these parables, images and symbols. Further, I would ask principals to ask teachers and teachers to ask students two questions: "What do you love about your Catholic school?" and "How are you or your school nurturing hope in your community?"

Today, although we are going through a dark and challenging time, the future appears to be hopeful. And I believe it's hope which has gotten us this far.