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Every now and then it is good to pause, to reflect, to give thanks for the blessings we have received. Those blessings come in many forms, in the loved ones that enrich our lives, in the opportunities for growth that have come our way, in the challenges that have made us better people, for example. Those blessings come when we decide to be of service to others or our communities, no matter how difficult or inconvenient that may be at times. These blessings come when we understand that we are entrusted with the care of God’s creation, that what we do or neglect to do will be our legacy for generations to come. We are pilgrims on this earth rather than masters of it.
Pope Francis has called us to take part in a Year of Jubilee during 2025, to reflect on our relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, to join with him and with others across the world and in our community to give thanks, to reach out to others and to proclaim the Good News in word and action.
Jubilee years are not new; they are first mentioned in the Book of Leviticus and they have been celebrated at regular intervals for hundreds and hundreds of years, because they are important in the life of the Church and they can be for every one of us.
This Jubilee year of 2025 is a time to reflect on the state of our world and, given that, how we might best witness to God’s love and grace. That begins when we become alert and sensitive to the action of God in our own lives, in our families, in our community, in our churches, in our world. It is a time to ask ourselves how we can be present to what God is doing—right here, right now. Despite how we might feel at times, God has not abandoned us, God has not abandoned our world despite the horrors of war in so many countries.
It is also a time for courage. When Jesus calls a blind man to come forward and be healed, the man is afraid. Take courage, his companions tell him, rise up, he is calling you (Mark 10:49). The Jubilee Year is a time to “rise up,” confront today’s challenges, seize today’s opportunities, to think in new ways, to begin anew. During this year, God is asking us to be apostles of hope, of love, to be Good News for the world that so desperately needs it. It is about recognising that the church does not exist for itself, but it is here to bring God’s vision to light in this age, in this place. Jubilee invites us to ask, how do we reach out to the communities, the towns we live in? When an institution fails to enrich the society in which it lives, it dies. It has lost its purpose. The church is being tested and we are called to answer some tough questions about how we can make Jesus’ message relevant to today, not just for ourselves but for the community in which we live. If we are content with today, apathetic toward common problems we face, timid and fearful of new ideas and bold projects, if our faith community’s main focus is on survival, on maintenance, it will eventually fade away.
Jubilee is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation. That’s not always easy but it goes to the heart of who we are as followers of Christ and what we believe. Jesus forgave often. It was an integral part of his message. He asked us to pray “forgive us as we forgive others.” But that is much more than just saying I forgive you – it is also about restoration, not just relationships but who we are, our character, our very soul as it were. We are called to be reconciled with those we may have offended or who have done that to us. In Jubilee Years of the past, starting way back with Leviticus, this was a time to forgive debts, seek out ways to make amends, to work to create a more just world.
Jubilee 2025 invites each of us to be Pilgrims of Hope, to be hope-filled people in a world, where hope is so desperately needed. Hope is not just some vague wish that things might get better but rather it is a call to action. St Augustine wrote that hope has two daughters: “Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” Indifference or apathy about injustice, oppression, and the suffering of others cannot produce hope or change but courage and perseverance to act in ways that work to overcome these scourges may well have a real impact. St Paul describes such hopeful courage as consisting of patience, forgiveness, sharing both joys and sorrows, showing hospitality and sharing each other’s burdens. Each time a person stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others, she or he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. Imagine the size of that ripple if we all did it.
In this Jubilee Year why not imagine what might be, to ask what are the possibilities here, to think of one action we could take to bring hope to another, one action we might take to make our part of this world just that bit more caring, one change we might make to encourage our faith community to bring the Good News to life in a new way.
In the words of Pope Francis, 'We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart, and far-sighted vision"
