A cargo ship is seen from the Stella Maris Chapel at the Port of Los Angeles Oct. 30, 2021. CNS PHOTO/VICTOR ALEMAN, ANGELUS NEWS
Pilgrims of Hope: Hope is an Anchor
Editor’s note: In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope, The Western Kentucky Catholic has launched Pilgrims of Hope, a yearlong blog series inspired by Pope Francis’ Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025: “My thoughts turn to all those pilgrims of hope who will travel to Rome in order to experience the Holy Year and to all those others who, though unable to visit the City of the Apostles Peter and Paul, will celebrate it in their local Churches.” Blog reflections will be written by individuals from across the Diocese of Owensboro, sharing their unique perspectives on the virtue of hope in a world that so greatly needs it.
BY OLIVIA SPEARS
The virtue of hope is often misconstrued as a mild, passive virtue. But Sacred Scripture uses strong language regarding hope. We are encouraged to “seize” hope, to labor to “hope against hope.” Perhaps the most well-known metaphor for hope is found in the book of Hebrews:
“We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul…” (Hebrews 6:19).
Hope is an anchor. It is strong and effective. It is stabilizing and even lifesaving.
It also necessitates our active participation, for anchors must be cast by someone. If hope is an anchor, then we get to choose where we cast our anchor—where we place our hope.
When operating a boat, the trickiest place to cast an anchor is close to shore. There are rocks, undergrowth, and trees that can tangle the anchor and cause the boat to crash against something detrimental.
Yet we often want to cast our anchor of hope near the “shore” where there is perceived safety. We like to rely solely upon our own ability to problem solve, to swim to shore, or touch the bottom if need be. We like the surety of things we can see.
In reality, the best place to cast our anchor is into the wide, open, deep water. But that involves things we cannot see, circumstances we cannot control. Of course, circumstances like this are largely a part of life; but our tendency toward self-reliance butts up against this reality. So we cast our anchors—we place our hope—in what is most comfortable for us.
The author of Hebrews continues, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). In other words, as the old saying goes, “A ship is safest at harbor but that’s not what ships are for.”
Hope is a stretching virtue. It beckons us beyond what we believe to be possible. It brings us beyond ourselves. And this is why it is a theological—supernatural—virtue. We cannot manufacture it ourselves; it is a gift from God.
When we respond to this gift of hope, we choose to cast our anchors into the deep waters of God’s love. It is here that we find the safety and assurance for which we truly long, even if it seems unseen. It is here that we find strength and stability beyond our human capacity. It is where we sail on, even through the most trying storms of life.
In this jubilee year of hope, our invitation is to courage and trust. Hope is a gritty virtue, one that requires our participation and our willingness to move beyond the shore. Where will you cast your anchor of hope?
Olivia Spears is a wife and mom of four residing in Owensboro, Kentucky. She creates Catholic faith formation resources for parents to use at home at intothedeep.co.
To learn more about the Diocese of Owensboro’s celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 visit https://owensborodiocese.org/jubilee-year-pilgrims-of-hope/.
