Peter Espeut | Pilgrims of Hope in 2025

“May the light of Christian hope illumine every man and woman, as a message of God’s love addressed to all!” — Pope Francis

The late Pope Francis declared 2025 to be a Year of Jubilee. This was not an unexpected declaration: in the Catholic Church there are four Ordinary Years of Jubilee every century – one every 25 years. The last one was in 2000 AD, celebrating the two-thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Christ. Now, in 2025, we have celebrated the Jubilee of Hope, a year devoted to deepening our expectation of what is to come.

The Year of Jubilee was declared as the world was coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and in the midst of a climate crisis. What the world needs now, is hope, sweet hope!

The Jubilee Year began on Christmas Eve (December 24) 2024 (the manifestation of Jesus to the Jews, represented by the shepherds), and ends on January 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (the manifestation of Jesus to the Gentiles – that is, you and me – represented by the wise men). No one is left out.

It has been a time of special grace – if you like, a year-long Advent season – when we examined ourselves, identified our short-comings, and sought forgiveness and renewal. It was a year of pilgrimages, when we all were designated “Pilgrims of Hope”, since we all were on a journey of trust in God’s promises, a journey during which we are called to be beacons of hope for others.

I have been encouraged by the following passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus:

“ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1: 18-19).

NOT DIMMED

Even in the aftermath of powerful Hurricane Melissa, the hope of believers is not dimmed, for we remember that when the Jesus’ disciples in the boat were being tossed about by a storm (always a symbol of the Church buffeted by the forces of the world), Jesus came towards them, walking on the water, and calmed the fury of the storm (Matthew 14: 24-32). Even a hurricane can be a source of Hope!

During this Jubilee Year of Hope we celebrated the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, the assembly of bishops which developed a formula expressing what Christians believe which we call the Nicene Creed, and which we still recite every week. It is this Creed which unites all true Christians – Baptists, Methodists, Anglicans, Catholics, Orthodox, etc. – and gives us Hope that, one day, Jesus’ prayer (in John 17:21) will be answered, and we will be united again in one fold under one shepherd. Just as we are united in belief in the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Jesus’ two natures – all asserted in the Nicene Creed – so are we united in the Hope of the Resurrection of the body on the last day.

PRAYER FOR HEALING

Tomorrow at St. William Grant Park in downtown Kingston, some of us will be on a Pilgrimage of Hope, to bring the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 towards a close. In the midst of praise and worship and exhortation, there will be confession of sins, penance for repentance and reconciliation, and prayer for healing. All are welcome!

Occasionally, a Pope may declare an Extraordinary Jubilee, as Pope Francis did with the Jubilee of Mercy in 2015-2016. The focus then was on seeing our God as the Father of Mercy (viz. the parable of the Prodigal Father, prodigal in His mercy), and we were challenged to be merciful like the Father. Again, the challenge was to go on pilgrimages – to walk through Doors of Mercy set up in every country of the world (including here in Jamaica). It was a great spiritual experience for me, as I was able to visit pilgrimage sites in several countries, including my own.

I expect the next Extraordinary Year of Jubilee to be the year 2033 – the 2,000th anniversary of the Institution of the Eucharist, and the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. If I am still alive – I would be over 80 years old – I hope to celebrate this milestone in the history of humankind – unless the Lord comes before!

In the mean time, as we bring the Jubilee Year of Hope to an end, we recall the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Church in Rome:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

The Rev. Peter Espeut is a Roman Catholic deacon and is Dean of Studies at St. Michael’s College and Seminary. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com