February's Virtue and Prayer Intention...

Virtue: HOPE

Patron: St. ANDREW

Text: His hope he set on me, so I will rescue him; protect him for he knows my name.

Hope is centered on God. Through this virtue, we confidently expect the fullness of glory, our eternal destiny, the face-to-face vision of God. For the early Christians, the anchor was the favorite symbol of hope (see Heb 6:18-19) because it symbolized strength and stability. It reminds us that the stability of our hope comes not from ourselves but rather from our gracious God and our risen Savior, Jesus Christ.

Saint Alphonsus was convinced that we do not sufficiently realize that God has made great promises to us and that we can be sure God will be faithful to those promises.

During February you could feature the act of hope in your prayers, saying often during the day: "My God, I place my hope in you." You could also frequently make a conscious effort to let go of fears and worries that beset you and place your trust in God, whose love and care rule your life.

Thanks www.redemptorists.com