Faith, hope, and love. These three theological virtues ought to be the cornerstone of our spirituality. Unfortunately, faith, hope, and love appear to be significantly absent in many aspects of our public lives today. This is evident in the conflicts that separate individuals over important issues such as the coronavirus, politics, inequality, environmental matters, and justice for the impoverished.

It is hardly surprising that the fundamental virtues of faith, hope, and love are neglected. Foundations are frequently disregarded. We just take it for granted that they exist. The bases of our homes are typically dull concrete or grimy stone. We rarely focus on them unless they begin to drip. However, today, the spiritual foundations of our society are indeed leaking. We take for granted that we possess faith, hope, and love simply because we have received them through the sacraments. Yet, these divine gifts are not insignificant construction elements we can disregard. They are precious jewels, and they require careful polishing.

In his spiritual masterpiece, “Dark Night of the Soul,” St. John of the Cross perceived these three fundamental virtues as hues. He described faith as a “whiteness so pristine that it entirely dazzles the vision.” He proposed that our hope should be a vibrant green, as everything else in this earthly realm is “arid, and withered and lifeless and valueless,” when compared to a flourishing hope in Christ. Ultimately, he viewed love as the majestic color of purple, for love compels us to “elevate ourselves to such a high level that we draw close to God, and become exceedingly beautiful and pleasing in his sight.”

By utilizing the colors of St. John, perhaps we can start to recognize these fundamental virtues as the gems they truly are by envisioning faith as a diamond, hope as an emerald, and love as an amethyst.

A treasure fable

There is a frequently shared, ancient tale of a recluse residing in the woods who was said to possess the most exquisite diamonds, emeralds, and amethysts anyone had ever encountered. One day, a young man ventured into the woods to witness these magnificent treasures. When he came across the hermit, the elderly man happily displayed the gems for the young man’s enjoyment. To his astonishment, the hermit inquired if the young man wished to take the gems with him. Unbelieving his fortune, the young man seized the gleaming jewels and dashed home.

Upon returning home, the young man was overwhelmed by the urgency to conceal and safeguard the jewels. He excavated cavities beneath his bed. He purchased additional locks to reinforce his door. He felt anxious about venturing out and leaving the gems unguarded. His fixation on concealing the gems grew to such an extent that he derived no pleasure from possessing them. Following countless restless nights filled with anxiety, the young man seized the treasure and made his way back into the woods. Upon encountering the hermit, he furiously asserted, “You did not provide me with the greatest treasure!”

“What are you referring to?” inquired the hermit. “You mentioned that you desired the jewels.”

The young man mournfully shook his head and remarked, “I desire whatever it is within your heart that allowed you to generously share these gems with me. That is the most valuable treasure.”

The wisdom of Sirach states, “Wealth or earnings can enhance life, but superior to both is discovering a treasure” (40:18). The theological virtues of faith, hope, and love represent our most valuable treasure. We must understand not only how to discover them in our existence but also how to generously share these precious qualities with others.

“I believe though I do not comprehend, and I hold by faith what I cannot grasp with the mind.”  — St. Bernard

Discovering the gem of belief

In his epistle, Lumen fidei (“The Light of Faith”), Pope Francis refers to faith as “a star to illuminate the horizon of our journey” (No. 4). Now, more than at any other time, we are in need of that star of faith. We require that radiant diamond, the toughest material on the planet. We seek a faith that can pierce our shadows and cut through all obstacles.

That level of faith arises from drawing near to God and understanding his methods. We tend not to place our trust in new acquaintances until we have invested time together. Similarly, we hesitate to trust a new vehicle until we familiarize ourselves with the owner’s manual and experience driving it. The same principle applies to God. Anyone seeking genuine faith in God needs to invest time in his presence.

On the other hand, our beliefs may be jeopardized when we invest excessive time in worldly pursuits — the faithless matters frequently encountered in mainstream and social media. Indeed, individuals of faith are not meant to retreat from the world. However, we must consistently maintain a balance between worldly affairs and the matters of God.

So how do we acquire that kind of unwavering faith? St. Augustine, in his “Confessions,” recounts that a pivotal moment in his own belief occurred one day when he spotted a Bible at a friend’s residence. At that time, Augustine was far from being a person of faith. However, he perceived God softly urging him, “Take and read.” God invites us to follow suit. Open Scripture and read it. Daily! It is an ideal method to bolster our faith.

St. Paul states, “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). To discover our most genuine, luminous, and vibrant faith, we must invest more time in listening to God and less time heeding the world.

“Faith, if it is to grow, has to begin ever anew. It needs to be sparked by desire, to take up the challenge of entering into a living and lively relationship with God.” — Pope Francis

Letting go of our beliefs

Belief encourages us to broaden our hearts and minds to everyone. It is not true belief to assume that God only communicates with specific individuals. That is arrogance. It restricts God into a mold that is inadequate for Him. Pope Francis explains, “Faith is passed on … by contact, from one person to another, just as one candle is lighted from another” (Lumen fidei, No. 37). Therefore, we need to bring our beliefs with us wherever we travel — consistently seeking a flame we can ignite for another individual.

One of the greatest methods to let our faith shine is to engage actively in a faith community. In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, Pope Francis published the book “Let Us Dream.” In this work, he remarked, “No one is saved alone. Isolation is not part of our faith.” By taking part in Bible studies, social outreach, or prayer groups, we enhance our own faith as well as that of others. Furthermore, it is simpler for a vibrant faith community to evangelize collectively than for an individual to go out alone and share the faith. Encouraging someone who struggles with faith to join us in an activity we cherish at our parish is a wonderful way to share that illumination of faith.

Certainly, that doesn’t imply we should confine our faith to ourselves solely when we are in church. We can provide a quiet testimony to our beliefs with a Bible on our nightstand, a crucifix by the entrance, a statue on a shelf, or a rosary near our seat. These are treasures we should share with others. They can serve as prompts for discussions regarding our faith. Outward manifestations of belief hold no value, however, if we do not emanate kindness and happiness. This is what will truly draw others in. They need to perceive how our faith enhances our character, making us more compassionate and joyful. Just as He did with St. Augustine, God will inspire individuals to explore what instills our goodness when they witness both the tangible evidence of our faith and the joy within our hearts.

“Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” — St. Augustine

Discovering the gem of optimism

In an ideal world, belief in God inspires us to be hopeful. Nevertheless, it can be challenging to discover a vibrant emerald of hope when we are burdened by constant reports of catastrophic storms, impending wars, COVID fatalities, gang-related violence, and hungry children. The news we witness today extends well beyond our immediate surroundings. We are inundated with tragic events from around the world. This type of contemporary anxiety necessitates a new kind of modern hope. We can discover that hope in contemporary saints.

St. John Henry Newman is among the Church’s most recently recognized saints, canonized on Oct. 13, 2019. He urged us to have faith. In a prayer titled “The Mission of My Life,” Cardinal Newman stated, “He knows what he is about.” Newman further expressed that God fashioned each of us “to do him some definite service,” even if we do not comprehend or grasp it during our lifetime. Embracing this belief can provide us with hope when life seems confusing. God has a purpose, and it is positive. We merely need to believe.

Pope John Paul II decided to canonize St. Faustina Kowalska as one of the initial saints of this new century. He strongly felt that this era would require the type of hope that St. Faustina imparted when she revealed to us God’s divine mercy. St. Faustina experienced regular visions of Our Lord with mercy flowing from His heart. While recounting these encounters with Jesus, Faustina wrote, “One thing alone is necessary; that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s merciful grace, and then God will do the rest. … For Jesus is our hope.”

Blessed Carlo Acutis is set to be the first saint of the millennial generation. This contemporary youth utilized websites and blogs to spread the message of the profound hope offered by the Eucharist. He frequently expressed, “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven.” Even when confronted with a distressing and deadly diagnosis of leukemia at the mere age of 15, Carlo remained unafraid of death because his hope was greater. He discovered this incredible hope in Jesus, who is entirely present for all of us in the Eucharist.

Confidence. Compassion. Communion. These three can provide us with a vibrant, flourishing, hopeful outlook, even in the chaos of today’s society.

“We need the greater and lesser hopes that keep us going day by day. But these are not enough without the great hope, which must surpass everything else. This great hope can only be God.” — Pope Benedict XVI

Giving away our hope

In “Let Us Dream,” Pope Francis states: “We are experiencing historically unmatched levels of inequality. Just over one percent of the global population possesses half of its wealth. Millions are deprived of hope!” With countless individuals void of hope, it should be simple for us to share some of our own hope. The issue is that those stripped of hope require more than merely a “thinking of you” card or a meal sent to their residence. This constitutes superficial hope — simple and commendable to offer — yet insufficient for the despair of the present day. God is urging us to disseminate the gem of hope much beyond that!

We must venture beyond our familiar surroundings if we aspire to offer a hope that has the potential to transform the world. We ought to imagine ourselves in another person’s situation. We must consider how we would react if we observed the cherished forest that served as our sanctuary being mercilessly ravaged. We should envision the anguish of the mother who resides in a humble dwelling with dirt floors, as she provides her child with muddy water to consume. We are called to empathize with the suffering of the young man who is violently assaulted for refusing to participate in a drug conflict. This level of profound compassion is essential.

Employing the phrases from the well-known peace prayer of St. Francis, individuals frequently seek, “Where there is despair, let us bring hope.” What actions can we take to provide that kind of hope? It will require some sacrifice. It will involve relinquishing some of our material desires in order to offer the financial assistance necessary to alleviate our planet’s profound despair.

We ought to be charitable, not just with our prayers but also with our finances and efforts. It should not astonish us that sacrifices are necessary to provide hope. When we reflect on the fact that our precious gift of hope is derived from Our Lord’s immense sacrifice on the cross, is it truly unreasonable to request that we, too, contribute a bit more to rescue our world?

Discovering the amethyst of affection

“Nothing and no entity can divide us from his saving love,” Pope Francis stated on March 27, 2020, during his urbi et orbi blessing, providing us with this wonderful promise when the world was on the edge of the COVID pandemic. While God’s love might not have halted the transmission of the virus, we have witnessed it manifested repeatedly through the ways individuals have supported and looked after each other in the past two years. Love enhances every element of our existence — even in the face of fear, loneliness, and illness.

In the most challenging times, love can elevate us to the status of kings and queens. It is indeed a noble quality. The issue, however, is that frequently our love is accompanied by expectations. We anticipate individuals to act in specific manners. When they fail to do so, we may find ourselves believing that we are unable to love them.

The key to discovering the love we lack is forgiveness. Pope Francis stated: “If we recognize that God’s love is without conditions, that the Father’s love cannot be earned or traded, then we will be able to demonstrate limitless love and forgive others even when they have hurt us” (Amoris laetitia, “The Delight of Affection,” No. 108).

Forgiveness serves as the gateway to discovering love. Here’s how it functions:

Understand that God is perpetually a merciful God. Regardless of our shortcomings or transgressions, we can allow our hearts to embrace his love cascading over us like shimmering amethyst dust — adhering to all and unattainable to erase.

Recognizing that God loves us unconditionally allows us to start forgiving ourselves for our imperfections.

When we can acknowledge, pardon, and cherish our own shortcomings in the same way that God cherishes us, we become capable of forgiving and loving the imperfections and vulnerabilities we observe in others.

And this represents genuine love. Adoring what is flawless is merely infatuation. Cherishing what is imperfect is authentic, profound, and everlasting love. This is the style of love that God consistently provides to us. This is the form of love that God desires us to share with others.

“Do not forget that true love sets no conditions. It does not calculate or complain, but simply loves.” — Pope St. John Paul II

Giving away our love

In his epistle to the first Christians, James stated, “fulfill the royal law as outlined in the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (2:8). St. Paul similarly emphasized that love stood as the highest virtue: “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13). Therefore, it is not unexpected that St. John of the Cross would associate the royal hue of purple with love.

These saints are simply clarifying what Jesus consistently conveyed. Jesus established love as the central virtue for all Christians by questioning Peter, “do you love me?” (Jn 21:15). When Peter responded, “yes,” Jesus instructed him to demonstrate that love by going forth to “Feed my lambs.” This dialogue was reiterated three times in the Gospel to emphasize that our love must be shared. Similar to Peter, every one of us is called to nurture the sheep of the world with our love.

The essence of love should perpetually manifest as an act. Love transcends being a mere beautiful sentiment to cherish within us. Love encompasses the assistance we provide, the hand we extend, the efforts we make to approach someone who requires support. St. Ignatius of Loyola reminded us, “Love is exhibited more through actions than through words.”

St. Paul additionally depicted love through our actions. He stated: “Love is patient, love is kind … it is not easily angered, it does not hold grudges. … It supports all things, trusts all things, hopes for all things, perseveres through all things. Love never falters” (1 Cor 13:4-7).

It can be difficult to consistently offer this type of love. That’s why we must cherish God’s magnificent love and allow it to lead us eternally. When we can love in such a forgiving and accepting manner, we are truly living as the royal offspring of our divine monarch.

“The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.” — Pope St. Gregory the Great

A tiara adorned with three gems

A crown, a ring, or a bracelet adorned with three jewels loses its value if one of the gems is missing. The vacant space diminishes the brilliance of the remaining two gems. Similarly, the three theological virtues function together in harmony. To experience the abundant and lovely life that God invites us to, we must possess all three of these virtues. These virtues are so intricately connected that we can imagine them as a braid composed of a lustrous white, green, and purple cord. This is a cord of virtue that remains unbreakable. It guides us through challenging moments. It enables us to be and accomplish all that God desires of us.

We cannot possess one of these virtues without the other two. Our current world is deteriorating because individuals believe they can have hope without faith, faith without love, or love without hope. G.K. Chesterton noted, “The only argument against losing faith is that you also lose hope — and generally charity.” How accurate that is! When we abandon one, we invariably lose the other two. We must refine these virtues daily and allow the world to witness how these treasures provide us with joy, peace, and wisdom.

Susan M. Erschen writes from Missouri.

A prayer for treasured virtues

Thank you, dear Lord, for the your great gifts of faith, hope and love. Please help me keep these virtues always sparkling and alive in my life. May these gems become holy habits that influence my every thought and action. Inspire me to walk with the confidence that comes from knowing and living your word. Give me the courage to make the sacrifices necessary to give hope to others. Help me to share with all people the compassion of your love alive in my heart. Let me forever abide in the beauty of these precious virtues. Amen.