“To hope” for a Christian “means the certainty of journeying with Christ towards the Father who awaits us. Hope is never static, it is always moving forward and makes us move forward”. Pope Francis recalled this in his General Audience catechesis today, addressing an audience of 4,000 faithful gathered in the Paul VI Hall. At the centre of the catechesis was hope, particularly “the moment in which, so to speak, hope came into the world through the Incarnation of the Son of God”. At Christmas, the Pope pointed out, “God fulfils His promise by becoming man; He does not abandon His people, but draws near to the point of stripping Himself of His divinity. In this way, God shows His fidelity and inaugurates a new Kingdom, one that gives a new hope to humanity: eternal life”. “What we hope for – Pope Francis explained – goes beyond our forces and gaze. The Birth of Christ, which brings forth redemption, speaks to us of a different hope, a trustworthy, visible and understandable hope, since it is founded on God. He enters the world and gives us the strength to walk with Him, towards a full life; and to live the present in a new way, despite all the difficulties”.