The man coming home from work was thinking about one of his office staff. She had recently been diagnosed as needing bypass surgery. When he spoke to her, she said she had faith in the surgeon that would perform the operation. She was a good worker and it was his hope that she would recover quickly. He certainly didn’t want to lose her. He felt she deserved a break. He was also aware of the fact that she devoted a lot of her private time to charity work. It came about that the operation was successful and he was able to welcome her back.
In a neighbouring town a woman sat gazing out of the apartment’s window, thinking about her boyfriend. They had been together for some time and she was very much in love with him. For her, it was a matter of faith as to whether he would keep his promise to stay away from alcohol. It had certainly got him into trouble in the past. She could only hope that he would keep his promise to remain sober. The first time he was charged with being drunk and disorderly, she had forgiven him out of charity. Further months proved that he was as good as his word and she could see that they now had a bright future.
In a faraway town a small child was crying in the back seat of its parents’ car. They were returning from the veterinary hospital where its anesthetised pet was lying on an operating table. The unhappy six-year-old considered itself to be the true owner of the cat. The parents had been using the same vet for a number of years and had faith in him. Their hope was that the animal would come out of the operation with no complications. It had been out of charity that they had originally taken the kitten from a local cat rescue facility.
It turned out that a few days later the cat came home fit and healthy.
For man, woman and child, it was true that the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity went a long way.