Throughout all her history, Israel had been more often defeated than victorious. Whether it was the Babylonians or the Romans, Israel had been unable to overcome her enemies. Even when Israel tasted brief success — during the reign of Solomon, for instance — her unfaithfulness to the Lord had led to disaster. But through all of that history, the faithful had at least the hope of the future Christ, who would exalt God’s people above all nations and restore the covenant with God.

Hope is one of the most powerful forces in human existence. Without hope, it’s almost impossible to accept the hardships of life and overcome even the smallest of obstacles; with it, the fate of entire nations can change. The Church has defined hope as one of the “theological” virtues, along with faith and love, because hope’s ultimate object is God. Hope is always directed toward a better future, and man’s ultimate future of true happiness is union with God himself. This is a primary reason why Jesus was misunderstood and rejected by many of his co-religionists: their hopes were directed toward an earthly resolution, but the mission of Christ was to fulfill the greatest hope of all, fellowship with God. (Who is Jesus Christ, pp. 111-112)

No matter our struggles or sufferings in this world, we have a sure reason to hope – Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior, is coming! Since the Fall God has promised that He will send One who will defeat sin, death and the devil. We celebrate the birth of that One tomorrow – our hope is fulfilled!