Hope and Its Opposing Vices

A Talk by Fr. Ermatinger

The Release from Deception (detail, marble statue), Francesco Queirolo,1759

Outline of Talk

St. Augustine: Sermon 21: 0:00-4:19
- A Time of Hope: 3:39-4:19
St. John Henry Newman: We Believe Because We Love: 4:19-5:29
- The Degree of Charity Determines the Degree of Faith: 5:21-5:29
In Between Charity and Faith Is Hope: 5:29-6:16
- Order of Events: 5:39-6:16
CCC on Hope: 6:16-6:44
What Kills Hope: 6:44-9:54
- St. Augustine: 6:44-7:56
  - Despair and False Hope (Presumption/Optimism)
  - Pessimism and Optimism Become Vices When They Supplant Hope: 7:56-8:11
- Children of Pessimism and Optimism: 8:11-8:28
- Definitions of Pessimism and Presumption: 8:28-9:22
  - Mercy is Not Unconditional: 9:22-9:54
    - Conditioned by Humble Petition for It
Problems that Follow the Loss of Hope: 9:54-15:05
- Acedia (Sorrow of this World): 10:07-11:21
- Activism: Attempt to Stay Active to Not Consider the Things of God: 11:21-13:03
  - Aside: Woman with Multiple Marriages: 11:59-13:03
- Makes One Incapable of Magnanimity and Courage: 13:03-13:24
- Perverted Form of Humility (Pusillanimity): 13:24-14:21
- Sloth Migrates from Emotional to Intellectual Word: 14:21-15:05
  - Leads to a Hatred of God Because of His Demands
  - Remorse for One’s Own Baptism
Placating Acedia/Sloth: 15:05-18:20
- Superficial Chatter: 15:05-15:24
  - Cannot Stand Silence / Introspection
- Vice of Curiosity (Disordered Knowledge): 15:24-16:05
- Multiplication of Hobbies 16:05-16:22
- Interior Restlessness: Instability in Place and Purpose: 16:22-18:20
  - Aside: Priest in Slovakia: 17:07-18:20
What Is Behind False Optimism in the Church/World?: 18:20-25:00
- Card. Ratzinger: Intentional Plan of Destruction of Tradition(?): 20:44-21:39
- Takes As Granted a Mindless Faithful: 21:39-21:52
- Two Sides of the False Hope: 21:52-22:44
  - Optimism
  - Blind Obedience
  - Deliberate Strategy to Rebuild the Church in Man’s Image
    - Sin of Eden
- Becomes a Parody of Real Hope: 22:44-23:55
  - Example: Funerals and Everyone Being a Saint: 22:54-23:55
- If Hope is Rooted in the Divine, Pessimism/Optimism is Rooted in the Human: 23:55-24:17
- Optimism is a Facade for Despair: 24:17-25:00
  - Seen in Suicide Rate – Highest in Human History
Hopeful Sorrow: 25:00-33:22
- Jerimiah as Hero of “Pessimism”: 25:00-25:58
- God is Not a Guarantor of Human Success: 25:58-28:40
  - Follower of Christ Is at Odds with Worldly Mentality: 26:50-26:56
  - Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: 26:56-28:40
    - Lamenting Over Sins
      - Personal, and The World
      - Offenses to the Lord
      - Undue Importance Given to Material Things
    - Sorrow with the Lord and also Rejoice with Him
- Aside: YouTube Video: 28:40-29:46
- St. Therese of Lisieux: Humility Is the Ability to Condescend: 29:46-30:07
- Blessed Are Those Who Mourn, Hope, and Follow Christ: 30:07-30:41
  - All Crosses Will Not Last Forever:
- Made to Live in This Paradoxical Tension: 30:41-31:38
  - Paul in 2 Corinthians: 30:41-31:21
    - Progression to Death Is a Being Lifted Up by Christ: 31:21-31:38
- Jesus in Matthew: 31:38-33:22
  - Beatitudes Are Not a New Ethical Standard but a Descriptor of a Perfect Follower of Christ: 32:28-33:22
The Inner Tension of Hope: 33:22-37:29
- Status Viatoris: 33:22-34:18
  - Anchored in A Past Promise
    - As of Yet Unfulfilled
    - Draws Us Beyond Ourselves
- Paul: Romans in This Hope We Are Saved: 34:18-34:52
  - Saved and Not Saved (Yet)
- St. Bonaventure’s Advent Sermon: Radical Commitment of Hope: 34:52-35:45
  - Cooperate with Christ
  - Trust and Activity/Obedience
- St. Thomas: Prayer Is the Language of Hope: 35:45-36:42
- The Our Father Is the Pinnacle
- Citizenship Means Learning the Language of the Culture: 36:42-37:29
  - Learning the Language of Prayer
    - Culminates in Charity

— Fr. Ermatinger