On July 22, thousands of people will gather in Detroit to be renewed, revived, and to have their faith strengthened during the Rising from the Ashes Revival. This is more than an event—it’s a call to rise. It is an opportunity to experience the fire of renewal and the living water of grace. It is a chance to grow, renew, and deepen one’s faith in Christ, centered in the Eucharist.
Let’s face it. The times we live in are turbulent, and it seems almost naïve to say we could still be hopeful, but I am.
I am not oblivious to what is going on around us and the challenges the world faces. To lose hope, however, is to say that the problems that we face are greater than the goodness in people or more powerful than the power of God.
I reflect every day on the words of Mary, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord” (Lk 1:38). It isn’t simply the words that catch my attention, but the situation in which those words were spoken. Mary faced the most challenging situation of her life, yet she found the faith to say she was the Lord’s handmaid. In the depths of her being, she was hopeful and peaceful. How could she have this faith?
The Magnificat, in Luke 1:46-55, gives us the reason why Mary could have such hope and peace. She proclaimed, “His mercy is from generation to generation.” It is because God is faithful that she has complete assurance that in the darkest of times, God has always responded and saved his people. It is for that same reason that we should hope as well. God is faithful!
In the Book of Lamentations, we read another credo of the fidelity of God to his people:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him” (Lam 3:22-24).
The one constant throughout history has been the ability of people—especially people of faith—to rise above every calamity, to rely on their belief in God, and to follow his path through the darkness.
Anne Frank, for example, whose Diary has inspired generations since its publication, wrote on July 15, 1944, “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the approaching thunder. I can feel the sufferings of millions, and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right one of these days, that this cruelty will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again” (Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl). Those are words of hope. Even as a young girl, she could recognize the providence of God amidst it all.
The words of Fr. Gabriel Richard, which inspired the motto for the City of Detroit after the great fire in 1805, used the word “hope” as well. He said, “We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes.” He penned the motto to express hope for rebuilding and a better future. His use of the word “hope” was a Biblical reference. He wasn’t expressing hope in an uncertain possibility, but a confident assurance, the kind that is found in the passage from Lamentations. It is a hope based on God’s faithfulness, not just human perseverance.
The time is now for a revival. I think Rising from the Ashes will take us deeper and higher. From this time of self-indulgence, self-centeredness, and incessant consumption of self-importance, there will come a time of renewed understanding of the common good, social interdependence, and mutual respect. The goal is to recall that the presence of the Lord is with us, especially in and through the Eucharist. The highlight of the day will be a Eucharistic procession along the streets of Detroit. It promises to be the largest such procession held in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
So, that is my reason for hope. Life can be challenging, but God is greater than any obstacle. We are called to rise, move forward boldly, and bring Christ to the world around us.
I believe in God and his faithfulness. I believe in the power of good to rise again over the darkness of sin. I believe that from every darkness, light will again shine bright. I believe that we will rise from these ashes and that better days lie ahead.
