Boy it didn’t take too long to turn this into a Protestant bashing session - where’d that come from you guys? Certainly not from the thread…
I have my hope in Christ from several areas. It starts with an understanding of the essential logic for the existence of God. Aristotle/Acquinas’ uncaused cause who’s essence is existence were foundational in this respect. Then there’s the word of God. An incredible history and revelation over thousands of years all in one book! The more you understand it, the more you understand how Christ fulfills the conditions for the awaited Messiah yet He did so in an incredibly unexpected and radical way. And quite apart from this is the actual way the Bible reaches into my very soul - unlike anything I have ever encountered.
The Apostles and martyrs testify to the Gospel of Christ and truly dispel the claims of Christ being another great teacher or even a lunatic.
The Catholic Church in it’s longevity and steadfastness in unwaveringly upholding the Truth of Christ is also a great reason for hope.
And lastly, but by no means least, I have the encounter with Christ in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion to top it all off.