For a Catholic, hope is the supernatural movement of our will by which we, with confidence and trust, aspire to what God has promised for us. In simpler terms, hope is the grace to expect God's goodness. Hope is an act of the will. Our life here is a journey, despite what the old saying promises, life is not about the journey but about where the journey leads us to in the end.
If we are to hope for eternal life with the Lord and with confidence believe that a life well lived will lead us there, then we can't fall prey to the things that destroy our hope. We believe that despite our sinful and fallen ways, we can be saved! Can I get a hallelujah?! But we also believe that we are not there yet. Yes, salvation is available to us, but for each of us here, it has not yet been fulfilled. Our own merits cannot save us, and we cannot solely rely on God's redeeming work.
Hope is necessary for salvation. We hope for salvation, but we cannot presume to be saved nor despair that we are beyond salvation.
Our holy fear of eternal damnation guards our hope and leads us to love for the Lord, and his love guides us on our journey. #livinglent2
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