Reflection for the Jubilee Year:Appeals for Hope
19 July, 2025
Members of the St Vincent de Paul Society are offering reflections for the Jubilee of Hope from a Vincentian Perspective.
This month’s reflection is offered by Elma Devlin from the St Patrick’s Conference in Emerald.
Appeals for Hope
Hope is not just a feeling—it is essential for survival. We can survive for about 40 days without food, 3 days without water, and around 8 minutes without air. But without hope, we last only seconds.
Hope moves us. It compels us to act, to care, and to believe that change is possible.
When we look around our world today, we are surrounded by appeals—for food, for shelter, for peace, for healing. These are not just cries for help; they are calls to hope.
It’s easy to feel small in the face of such need. I often find myself wondering; What difference can I make? But the answer is simple—and ancient. In the Old Testament, the prophet Micah reminds us:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
— Micah 6:8 (NIV)
These are not grand, unattainable gestures. They are a call to live lives of compassion, integrity, and humility.
The Starfish Story
There’s a well-known story about a little boy walking on a beach covered with stranded starfish.
He picks them up, one by one, and gently throws them back into the ocean.
A man approaches and says, “There are thousands of them. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The boy picks up another starfish and says, “It made a difference to that one.”
What does this story say to those who serve—and to those who are served?
It says that every act of kindness matters. Every moment of care reflects the presence of God in the world.
Living the Call
As Vincentians—and as Christians—we are called to live out our baptismal promise:
To be priest, prophet, and king.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux spoke of “the little way”—the path of doing small things with great love. These small, faithful acts are what build a more compassionate world.
Years ago, I invited a refugee mother to help me in the school tuck shop. To me, it was a small gesture. But ten years later, she called me her “angel.” For her, it was the beginning of something bigger. We were both part of something greater than ourselves.
Everyday Witness
Church-wide appeals are often large in scale—and rightly so. But the daily, quiet service of individuals is what sustains them.
St. Vincent de Paul is an Appeal for Hope. And it’s made up of countless ordinary people doing extraordinary work—sorting clothes, serving clients, cleaning, driving, interviewing, and simply listening.
This is Gospel work. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says:
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
— Matthew 25:35–36 (NIV)
Then he adds:
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.”
— Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
This is what our members and volunteers do. Often without realizing it, they become the hands and feet of Christ.
The Hope We Give
We may not always see the results of what we do. But the prophet Daniel reminds us:
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,
and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
— Daniel 12:3 (NIV)
Let us never underestimate the power of giving hope. God’s promise to us in Jeremiah still stands:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you a future and a hope.”
— Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
We are part of that plan—giving and receiving hope. Pope Francis called on us to be a voice for the voiceless. To lift one another up. To see and reflect the goodness in each other.
Final Words
Hope is not wishful thinking. It is a choice—a decision to act, even when we cannot see the outcome. Each of us is a thread in a much larger fabric. Together, our small acts weave something strong, compassionate, and enduring.
Let us continue to be people of hope—people who notice, who care, who show up. As the movie The Shawshank Redemption put it so well:
“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.
And no good thing ever dies.”
So, let’s go forward—giving hope, receiving hope, and living it. Not just in words, but in action.
Every day.