Who is doing the fighting for you?
You?
If so then the battle is already lost.
If it is Christ who is doing the fighting for you, then the battle is already won.
That just isn’t true. You CAN know you’re saved before they close the lid over you. When you receive the Lord Jesus Christ into your life (by choice) and repent of your sins, you are saved and you are one of His. My husband was Catholic and when he was born again, he said it was like a load lifted off his shoulders to know that he didn’t have to wonder anymore if he was going to die in sin. Jesus came for ALL our sins, present, past and future. When you confess your sins to HIM, He forgives you and cleanses you of all unrighteousness.
The meaning of the word "hope" in scripture is more like "certain expectation" than our English "hope" meaning of "wish." The biblical meaning of "hope" is reflected in your quote from the Requiem Mass "sure and certain hope."
I think the concern in Roman Catholicism and amidst other Protestants of "faith alone" as they read it as faith only....as if people are saved just with their faith, and no other evidence of grace or works of love are shown in their life. That's just abstract nonsense, and a total misunderstanding of the phrase "faith alone."
The best quote I heard on this is an old Puritan saying: 'we are saved by faith alone, yes, but faith never comes alone...' Meaning yes, faith alone in the merits of Christ alone is our hope alone....(and a certain hope at that...)but real faith always brings with it the Holy Spirit who is love Himself. Hence people with real authentic faith ALWAYS have real authentic loving behavior. Faith alone is the foundation of a saved life, but a saved life is always proved by loving works.... Do those good and charitable works save us? No, Jesus by His grace alone does.
To God alone be the glory!!!