“Being sure that I am journeying towards something which is, not something that I wish would be”. Pope Francis gave this off-the-cuff definition of hope during his general audience today, attended by 6,000 faithful. “Paul, in the face of the fears and doubts of the community, invites all of us to keep firm on our heads like a helmet ‘the hope of salvation’, especially in the trials and the most difficult times of our lives”, Pope Francis said. “A helmet – that is what Christian hope is”. “When we talk about hope – Pope Francis warned – we may be led to understand it in common terms, that is, as something beautiful that we desire, something that may or may not happen; something we hope for, a kind of wish. We say for example: ‘I hope the weather will be good tomorrow’, although we know it may rain tomorrow”. “Christian hope is not like this”, Pope Francis remarked: “Christian hope means expecting something that has already been fulfilled”. “There is a door, there, I hope to reach the door: so what shall I do? I shall walk and reach the door”, the Pope continued off-the-cuff, mentioning this example. “Our resurrection, too, like that of our loved ones – Pope Francis pointed out –, is not something that may or may not happen; rather, it is a sure fact, because it is rooted in the event of Christ’s Resurrection”.