Bishop Michael G. Duca selected the episcopal motto “Hope in the Lord” when he received his first appointment as bishop of the Diocese of Shreveport. This motto has an apropos connection with this Jubilee Year of Hope’s emphasis on trusting in God’s promises and future heavenly reward during times of suffering.
It also expresses the bishop’s commitment as shepherd of the Diocese of Baton Rouge to help his people see that “hope does not disappoint.”
When Bishop Duca received his appointment, he had been reading a book about mental illness, and the first part of the book was about hope.
“I had become aware that back in 2008 it seemed like the world was losing hope,” said Bishop Duca. “St. John Paul II talked about it as a culture of death. You get to the point where you don’t think there’s any answer. There’s no way out, the problems are too big.”
A sentence in the book caught the bishop’s attention: “Some things are hopeless.”
“That struck me because it seems like everyone always said, ‘All things are possible in Christ.’”
But the Bishop understood the author was talking in terms of mental illness. People who have mental difficulties get “stuck in a loop,” and they are not able to break free from it themselves.
For them, unless something happens, their situation is hopeless.
“I began to understand what it meant in a different kind of way,” said Bishop Duca. “It wasn’t that hope ceases; it is that the situation is hopeless.”
The bishop pointed out as an example that if someone is not athletically inclined, it is hopeless that they will become a professional football player.
“It’s not about when we begin to lose hope; it’s that our hope is not big enough,” said the bishop.
In the case of someone who has been given a terminal illness diagnosis, he or she may say, “I hope God will heal me, but I’m not going to put my trust in living. I’m going to put my trust in him.”
In this case, the person’s hope is not in being healed of the disease itself, but in heaven.
“You have a bigger hope that death is not the end. You work hard not to die, but you don’t fight it. You can talk about your illness, say goodbye to people,” the bishop said.
“Your life is much bigger because you brought in a hope that is a much bigger hope that frees you to really do the good things you need to do in the last moments of your life.”
When people see the world getting dangerous – crime, the government falling apart, etc. people don’t “get bigger” through hope and try to do something better. They tend to get “smaller,” gate themselves in, and gather in little clusters to protect themselves. People get mad and frustrated and become more hopeless when solutions don’t come.
There is an answer, but it’s not an easy one. It means following Jesus and sacrificing to have a bigger hope.
“What we need to do is hope in the Lord,” said Bishop Duca.
He noted that Pope Francis titled the papal bull declaring the Year 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Hope, “Spes Non Confudit,” meaning “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” This hope is not grounded in mere optimism, but in God’s love and care no matter what happens.
There is a sense of humanness in hope because it allows people to look into the future in order to obtain something, Bishop Duca stated.
“It’s necessary to imagine things, possibilities, solutions,” said the bishop.
It’s also relational. People can share hope with others in need and lift them up. They can tell them, “Have you tried this ...?” This opens new possibilities and hope for the person.
For Christians hope is even more: it’s a theological issue, stated the bishop.
“It’s’ about intentionally believing that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Even if things are impossible ‘to fix’ in a human sense, the Lord gives us something greater,” Bishop Duca said.
Theological hope finds itself in the contraction of the cross. Sometimes the way to a new life means dying to an old way of life and “letting go” and giving over to a completely new reality.
People may find themselves taking care of elderly parents. As it becomes harder for them, they become angry because they cannot maintain the same life they had. Instead of trying to hold things together, they can let go of some things. particularly the more superficial things. Then they are free to be present with their families and free to love.
Such sacrifices and letting go also frees people to become disciples of Christ.
“In one of my confirmation sermons I would always tell the people, ‘Go.’ After Pentecost, what did the disciples do?” asked Bishop Duca. “They went out and preached. That’s why at the end of Mass it’s said, ‘Go announce the Gospel of the Lord.’”