Despite these dark clouds, which may not be ignored, I would like in the following pages to take up and discuss many new paths of hope. For God continues to sow abundant seeds of goodness in our human family. The recent pandemic enabled us to recognize and appreciate once more all those around us who, in the midst of fear, responded by putting their lives on the line. We began to realize that our lives are interwoven with and sustained by ordinary people valiantly shaping the decisive events of our shared history: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, storekeepers and supermarket workers, cleaning personnel, caretakers, transport workers, men and women working to provide essential services and public safety, volunteers, priests and religious… They understood that no one is saved alone. 51Cf. Extraordinary Moment of Prayer in Time of Epidemic (27 March 2020): L’Osservatore Romano, 29 March 2020, p. 10; Message for the 2020 World Day of the Poor (13 June 2020), 6: L’Osservatore Romano, 14 June 2020, p. 8.
I invite everyone to renewed hope, for hope “speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfillment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love… Hope is bold; it can look beyond personal convenience, the petty securities and compensations which limit our horizon, and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile”. 52Greeting to Young People at the Padre Félix Varela Cultural Centre, Havana, Cuba (20 September 2015): L’Osservatore Romano, 21-22 September 2015, p. 6. Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope.