The following is a powerful meditation on hope - one of the theological virtues and something that we cannot do without, especially at Christmas. It was written by Charles Peguy (1873-1914).
‘You must have confidence in God my child. You must have hope in God. You must trust God; you must give God a chance; you must have this confidence in God in order to have hope in him; you must trust God in order to have hope in him; you must give God a chance in order to have hope in him; you must extend hope to God; you must hope in God; you must have faith in God - it's all one, it's all the same thing.
You must have this faith in God in order to hope in him. You must believe in him which is hoping; you must have confidence in God, he certainly has confidence in us. You must trust God, he certainly has put his trust in us; you must hope in God he has certainly hoped in us; you must give God a chance he has certainly given us a chance. What chance? Every chance; you must have faith in God he certainly has faith in us.
Remarkable mystery, most mysterious! God made the first move. Or rather it's not a distinct mystery, is not a particular mystery it's a mystery which bears on all the mysteries. It's an increase, it's a growth to infinity of all the mysteries it's a miracle. A perpetual miracle. A miracle in advance for God made the first move, a mystery of all the mysteries. God took the initiative’.
Charles Peguy, Portal of the Mystery of Hope.