Pope Francis passed on Easter Monday, and I’ve been revisiting his writing in the days since. I was fortunate to hear him speak at the TED conference back in 2017, and this passage stood out even more vividly now than it did then.

The future does have a name,

and its name is Hope.

Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïve

and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing.

Hope is the virtue of a heart

that doesn’t lock itself into darkness,

that doesn’t dwell on the past,

does not simply get by in the present,

but is able to see a tomorrow.

Hope is the door that opens onto the future.

Hope is a humble, hidden seed of life

that, with time, will develop into a large tree.

It is like some invisible yeast that allows the whole dough to grow,

that brings flavor to all aspects of life.

And it can do so much,

because a tiny flicker of light that feeds on hope

is enough to shatter the shield of darkness.

A single individual is enough for hope to exist,

and that individual can be you.

Dear ones, may we nurture the humble seed of life.

May we fan the flames of a tiny flicker of light. 

May we open the door onto the future.

May we hope.