“Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” – St. Padre Pio
Raise your hand if you’ve felt hopeless at some point in your life.
I can’t see you as you’re reading this blogpost (thank goodness, right?!) but I’m going to dare to guess you probably raised your hand. Hopelessness is something that can feel painfully lonely but is not unique to any of us. Even lives full of great joy can be riddled by hopelessness. For some, hopelessness and despair are frequent and expected visitors. For others, hopelessness drops by unexpectedly like the occasional October blizzard. No matter on which end of the spectrum you find yourself, I want you to know this: God calls us to have hope in Him. And when we hope in Him, we lean into a fuller, deeper relationship with Him. Just like a good earthly father is a safe place for the hope of a child, so is our Heavenly Father a safe place for the hope of our hearts.
But what about when hope is hard? Hope anyway. As hard as it may seem, hope anyway. In sacred scripture, we hear about hope many times over, but this verse from Isaiah, stands out as a promise of what we can expect when we hope:
“They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
Hope is a Thing with Feathers – Flying Feathers
Recently, I found myself having to work hard to “hope anyway” when I received some terrible news about something completely out of my control. I won’t share the details of the news here, as the story belongs not only to me, but I will say that the news was devastating, anxiety-inducing, and unexpected. The news also brought with it quite a bit of unknown. Crumpled on the bathroom floor, tears flowing, feeling totally alone and fearful, I texted a few close friends to ask for prayers. “Turn it over to Jesus, and our Sweet Mother Mary, honey” said one of my dear friends. And so, I did. And for the next 10 days I prayed more rosaries, chaplets, and prayers of supplication than I think I’ve ever prayed in my life.
On Day 9, I was eagerly awaiting an answer – a hopeful remedy to the terrible news – and I remembered something I had read about: St. Teresa of Calcutta’s “Flying Novena.” This express novena, consisting of 10 Memorares prayed in one sitting, rather than the traditional nine days, proved to be a powerful prayer for St. Teresa in her life – even clearing up a rainstorm and speeding up a visa! (Click here to read an article from the National Catholic Register outlining these miracles and more.) This Flying Novena was prayed by St. Teresa when time did not allow for a nine-day novena, but an urgent request still needed granted. I figured if it worked for Mother Teresa, it was worth a try, right? So, I pulled up an image of the Memorare and I prayed, one after another, until I reached 10. With each prayer, I expressed my thanksgiving for the blessings of the situation and my confidence in Mary as the most powerful intercessor. I put my hope in God and settled in for a restful night of sleep – the first restful night I had in 9 days.
The next day, at 12:06pm, I received the best possible news about the situation! The anxiety and dread I had been experiencing were washed away immediately. My heart was bursting with cheers of “Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, Mary! God is so good!” and for the first time in 10 days, I felt lighthearted and free. What a blessing to have an answered prayer. Thank you, St. Teresa of Calcutta, for teaching us the Flying Novena!
A Call to Hope
I urge you to memorize this prayer, or save this post, so you always have the Memorare close by for when you are feeling hopeless, or you need to pray a Flying Novena. Don’t hesitate to ask our Blessed Mother, the mediatrix of all graces, to intercede for you!
Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
And finally, let’s revisit that quote from Padre Pio, particularly the second half of his famous quote:
“Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
– St. Padre Pio
God will hear your prayer! Hope in Him. Hope in Him anyways. Hope in Him always!
Note from the Author: This blog post was originally written for Women at the Well and was published on their blog in October of 2021. Women at the Well is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and empowering Catholic women to grow in Faith + Community. Women at the Well has been such a blessing in my life. Check them out at Women at the Well to find out how you can bring Women at the Well to your parish!
