The short reading from the First Letter of John is of great significance, a significance which is increased in the context of today's feast.

First of all it is the only passage in the writings of Saint John and in the Gospels in general where the Christian virtue of hope is specifically mentioned. From the first letter which St Paul wrote to his various communities, we learn to speak of faith, hope and love. While there is a great deal of teaching about faith and love in the Gospels, especially in that of St John, there is scarcely any direct teaching on hope - probably because the virtue of hope depended on the Resurrection for its foundation and expression. Reading between the lines, as we say, there is of course much indirect teaching about hope in the Gospels, especially where teaching on faith implicitly includes teaching on trust. In this short passage, Saint John specifies a fundamental basis of our hope: the promise that we shall see God face to face in the beatific vision.

Hope gives meaning, strength, and direction to our efforts to lead good and holy lives.