While indeed much has been said and discussed regarding the meaning, application, origin and essence, of virtues, in this particular case being that of hope; it is my desire to once again take up the task of expounding the nature of this highly mentioned, yet poorly represented ideal. God willing, my labour will not go to waste and I pray that it might be of service to any hungry soul searching for truth on this matter. Amen.
Defining "Hope"
Hope, according to Cambridge Dictionary is "something good that you want to happen in the future, or a confident feeling about what will happen in the future".1 In other words, it is "the desire of something together with the expectation of obtaining it".2 Hope is thus understood in a similar light as faith, since both deal with man's uncertainty in the face of the existence of time and space, since both faith and hope contribute to humanity's identity and essence, inspiring all to a greater end and a higher meaning.
Thus wrote St. Paul, the Apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrews (bold and underlining added):
ܐܝܬܝܗ ܕܝܢ ܗܝܡܢܘܬܐ ܦܝܤܐ ܥܠ ܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܐܝܬܝܗܝܢ ܒܤܒܪܐ ܐܝܟ ܗܘ ܕܗܘܝ ܠܗܝܢ ܒܤܘܥܪܢܐ ܘܓܠܝܢܐ ܕܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܠܐ ܡܬܚܙܝܢ ܀4
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the persuasion of the things that are in hope, as if they were in act; and it is the manifestness of the things not seen.3
Scholastic Thought
It is no secret that some of the greatest philosophers of all time were the medieval scholastics, whose legacy has been admired and works have been cherished. In the mind of these great thinkers lied the premise that hope was an attainable virtue for a being so simple as man, though one that came at a great cost.
Numbered amongst those great scholars, St. Thomas Aquinas is to be found; and it should not come as a surprise to the reader that the genius of this great man could shed some light into this issue. In his magnum opus, the Summa (also known as the Summa Theologiae), Aquinas commences his discussion by pointing out the following principle in regards to this matter (Summa Q17, Art. 1; bold and underline added)5:
Sed contra est quod Gregorius, in I Moral., dicit quod per tres filias Iob significantur hae tres virtutes, fides, spes, caritas. Ergo spes est virtus.
On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. i, 33) that the three daughters of Job signify these three virtues, faith, hope and charity. Therefore hope is a virtue.
Now, owing to the natural flow of reason, it is appropriate to expound the different ideas expressed in this one fragment. As it is observed, Aquinas cites Pope St. Gregory I - "The Great", in his interpretation of the text from Job. We shall return to St. Gregory in a few moments, though it is necessary to first review what the text in Job actually says. The text in question can be found at the very end of the narrative, and is read as thus (bold and underlinign added):
(יג) וַֽיְהִי־ל֛וֹ שִׁבְעָ֥נָה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת׃ (יד) וַיִּקְרָ֤א שֵׁם־הָאַחַת֙ יְמִימָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית קְצִיעָ֑ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖ית קֶ֥רֶן הַפּֽוּךְ׃ (טו) וְלֹ֨א נִמְצָ֜א נָשִׁ֥ים יָפ֛וֹת כִּבְנ֥וֹת אִיּ֖וֹב בְּכׇל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן לָהֶ֧ם אֲבִיהֶ֛ם נַחֲלָ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃
(13) He [Job] also had seven sons and three daughters. (14) The first he named Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. (15) Nowhere in the land were women as beautiful as Job’s daughters to be found. Their father gave them estates together with their brothers.
Pope St. Gregory I says the following regarding the three theological virtues (bold and underlining added for the text in English6 and in Latin7:
Verum certe septem filii habent in nobis tres sorores, quatenus omne illud virile opus, quod hae virtutes honestae agunt, coniungunt cum fide, spe et caritate. Nam septem filii nunquam perveniunt ad perfectionem numeri decem, nisi omnia quae aguntur fiant in fide, spe et caritate. Sed quia haec copia virtutum antecedentium sequitur multiplex cura de bonis operibus, recte additur,
Yet surely the seven sons have in us three sisters, forasmuch as all that manly work which these virtuous affections do, they unite with faith, hope, and charity. For the seven sons never attain the perfection of the number ten, unless all that they do be done in faith, hope, and charity. But because this store of antecedent virtues is followed by a manifold concern for good works, it is rightly added,
Job's daughters are here mentioned as the most beautiful of the land. Wouldn't it be wise to claim that, truly, the most beautiful of the virtues known to man are these?: That of faith, which leads us to trust the Good Shepherd and believe in His mandates; that of hope, which guides us into the loving arms of the Lord Our God; and last but not least that of charity, which is born out of the love for the Lord's commandments and the gracious goodwill which is shared amongst men.
But, of course! Little doubt must be cast upon this most profound truth, which should be the feed of all of humanity's soul.
Notes & References:
1. Hope. (2024). In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-spanish/hope?q=Hope
2. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Hope. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2024, from https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07465b.htm
3. James Murdock’s translation of the Syriac Peshitta. (n.d.). STEPBible - Murdock. https://www.stepbible.org/version.jsp?version=Murd
4. Syriac Peshitta. (n.d.). STEPBible - Peshitta. https://www.stepbible.org/version.jsp?version=Pesh
5. Aquinas. (n.d.). https://aquinas.cc/la/en/~ST.II-II.Q17.A1.C
6. Morals on the Book of Job: Volumes 1 to 3 -Saint Gregory the Great. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2024, from https://www.ecatholic2000.com/job/untitled-53.shtml
7. DigiViewer V 0.6.5. (n.d.). http://digital.bib-bvb.de/view/bvb_mets/viewer.0.6.5.jsp?folder_id=0&dvs=1714792919108~889&pid=5073870&locale=en_US&usePid1=true&usePid2=true