The letter to the Hebrews allows us to go deep into the scriptures by teaching us the virtue of hope:"We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized." Hebrews 6:11
Thomas Aquinas defines hope as the assurance of receiving eternal life, the faith instead is accepting the creed. Let us remember that eternal life is the same knowledge of God and contemplative activity: "This is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God", John 17:3
The virtue of hope is both a promise and a oath:
"When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 6: 13-20
The hope is the security to the unknown, this is why hope is consumed, realized, in eternal life. The hope is a message deep into scripture. We have hope until we receive the Holy Spirit (Gnosis), and it is there where hope is transformed into "security in God"(adult faith) and perseverance: "For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears" 1 Corinthians 13:10
For hope, we wait in patience and constancy in the Word, waiting for eternal life, as explained in the parable of the sower. (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8)
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