An Advent full of hope

Csekefalva, December 5, 1920

Yesterday we lit the second candle of our Advent wreath. My mother said that this second candle represented hope, but I didn’t fully understand what that word meant. While my parents and siblings sang Advent songs, I wondered what hope was about.

After singing, my mother and I baked a cake, and since the thought of hope was still preoccupying me, I began to ask questions. I asked her what hope is good for. She has gotten used to my inquisitive nature, she patiently answers my strangest questions. According to my mother, “hope is good for helping you find the light even in the darkest of times. Hope can be a powerful force. There may not be real magic in it, but if you know what you hope for and keep it as a light within you, it can come true, almost like a miracle. During Advent, we have faith and hope for the Savior to come.»

This answer was not enough for me. I needed a more precise definition, so I asked her to give an example. My mother continued, “When we expect something to happen or be true, we are hoping. For example, now we hope that our cake will rise. Since we hope for it, with faith and trust, the chance is greater that it will rise and we will have a good cake.» The cake has indeed risen and it was delicious, we ate it quickly, but my reflection on hope did not end there.

That’s when I turned to my other important source of information, the local newspaper Csíki Lapok. A few days ago I saw an article about Advent and hope but didn’t have the time to read it. I quickly sat down and in the flickering candlelight I read the following:

«People must hope. Hope is our bread, our entire life is about hope, and it guides and motivates us in everything we do. A child hopes to grow up, an adult hopes to grow old one day. The poor hope to get rich, and the rich hope to achieve even more. The prisoner hopes that one day the handcuffs will fall off and he will be free. Only hope can keep him alive. This is the evergreen part of our soul, which the storms of life can sweep away, but cannot destroy. It will bloom again.

The buds of hope sprout, and the buds of hope many times turn into flowers. The child does grow up, the adult does get old. The poor will get their wealth, and the rich will achieve their goal. The prisoner’s days are difficult, but hope comforts him, it adds strength to his soul until the day he will be free.

Just as clean air is necessary for the body, hope is necessary for the soul. Advent also teaches us: we must hope with anticipation, this is our destiny, which will not fail us. Buds always sprout.

If we have an Advent full of hope, then we will have a true Christmas. We will be reborn in body and soul.»

I slowly started to grasp the meaning of hope. After reading the article, I spent my evening writing down what I’m hoping for lately, to see if it helps make it come true. I immediately thought of the ice skates that I hope to get for Christmas. But then I realized that my most important hope is to live in peace for a long time on this small farm in Csekefalva together with my parents and brothers. I also really hope that when I grow up, I will travel to many places to discover this amazing world and then tell everyone stories about my wonderful experiences. Although, if I think about it, I barely said it and all of this has largely already come true. Then let’s see if I do get the ice skates for Christmas.

And you, my dear friend, what do you truly hope for lately?

Klárika