There is a word that dwells in each of our hearts and always resonates with profound weight: hope. It sustains us when we face hardship or stand before circumstances that stir our deepest fears. It drives us forward as we make new plans. It guides us when we look toward the future and our eyes ask us to dream.
"Life offers Christians many reasons for hope. You have found some in the examples of saints. Are there reasons for hope that come from ordinary life?"
This question was posed to Milan's Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini in a recent interview, and his answer struck me deeply. He said: "There are many reasons for hope that come from the lives of ordinary people. I am moved, for instance, by the experiences of the sick who live through difficult situations with great courage and patience. But what moves me most are the fathers and mothers who lovingly care for a child with a disability—physical or mental—with a dedication that can only be called true heroism."
These words invite reflection, because usually the opposite happens: parents of a disabled child often seek something or someone to give them hope. It was Cardinal Martini himself who offered them fresh strength and renewed hope on many occasions, above all through his words and his care. But that these parents are the very ones who give hope—that seems almost impossible!
How can you carry something you desperately need? How is it possible to thirst even when you live beside a spring?
These mothers and fathers—those who "lovingly care for a child with a disability"—often without even realizing it, become a source of great hope simply through their daily lives. Their days are made of small things: moments of exhaustion and discouragement, yes, but also moments of love and devotion, where a smile or a simple glance can speak a peace and joy that runs deep.
This happens because the heart of every parent overflows with love for their child, and they possess a dedication that, as Cardinal Martini reminded us, "can only be called true heroism."
These signs of genuine love, without becoming a "spectacle," have the power to restore confidence in all of us. Our hearts all thirst for love. What steals our hope is the fear that we will not find such a love—a love that is generous, without measure, a love that gives itself freely without demanding anything in return, without weighing merit or failure.
But what can quench the thirst of those parents who carry the weight of so much struggle? They love their children profoundly, yet sometimes they also feel the heaviness of despair or loneliness. I do not think there are "special" words or clever explanations that offer a true answer. Hope does not come from there. In fact, such words and "explanations" often do more harm than good.
It happens that when we seek help, we no longer know where to turn: "I lift up my eyes to the mountains: where will my help come from?" We often ask ourselves this, like the author of this Psalm, and his answer—perhaps after struggle and searching—rings out like this: "My help comes from the Lord.... The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is like a shadow that covers you, and stands at your right hand.... The Lord will protect you from all evil; he will guard your life. The Lord will watch over you, when you go out and when you come in, from now and forever" (Psalm 121).
The first reason for hope comes to us from the Lord, who says: Remember that you are not alone, not for a single moment, not even in your darkest hours, when it seems no one remembers you anymore. I am at your side always, in every circumstance. Not because you deserve it, but only because you are loved.
Another reason for hope comes from looking at daily difficulties in a new way. It is as if a friend were to tell you: Remember that even if all this struggle seems pointless and bears no fruit, there is someone near you or far from you who will receive tremendous strength from your effort—a strength called hope, which will help them take up their journey again. This will help them. But it will also help you, in a mysterious yet real way. It will give you the strength to go on.
Our hearts always thirst. We search for water that can satisfy this thirst. Hope is the name of that water, drawn only from the well of Love—a love received first, then given freely to others.