Father Robert Lauder, a St. John’s
philosophy professor, ended his Faith
Hope and Love Lenten Series yesterday
with a final lecture on the need for hope.

The lecture, the third in a series of three,
took place in St. Thomas More Church.

Fr. Lauder opened his sermon with a
quote from the Gospel according to John,
saying, “We need only trust in Him and
follow His will.”

Fr. Lauder also discussed the contrast
between “hope” and “wish.” He explained
that a “wish “is focused on something in
particular, while a hope alone “gives God
unlimited credit.”

Throughout his sermon, Fr. Lauder
gave examples from his personal life and
made reference to plays such as “Waiting
for Godot” and “Long Days Journey into
Night.”

“Hope is infectious,” he said.
Fr. Lauder said that people are now
all living in an age where they find life
commitments difficult, then gave the
example that less men are becoming
priests, less women are becoming nuns
and that two out of three marriages end
in divorce.

“I would like to suggest we create our
own future,” he said. “By our choice we
co-create [with God] who we are.”
Both University students and
professors attended the event.

“It was an interesting topic on hope
which showed the importance and
difference between the meaning behind
hope and life,” said Matthew Knotts, a
senior, when asked about what he got out
of attending the sermon.

Chelsie Sapp, a freshman, said the
lecture taught her more about having a
personal connection with God.

“It helped me realize that God is ever
present in our lives and that He really
cares about the things we are going
through,” she said.

Amy Marinaro, a sophomore, said she
learned about prayer.
“It showed the importance of having
prayer and having a conversation with
God in all aspects of life,” she said.

When asked after his sermon what the
focal point was, Fr. Lauder said, “God’s
love surrounds us every minute of our
lives and that should free us to be trusting
and have hope in God.”