Finding Renewal in the Jubilee of Hope | Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

As I compose these words for this weekend’s reflection, I have recently returned from a Holy Year Pilgrimage to Rome. It was a joy to have had the opportunity to share in this experience with a group of people who, themselves, were desirous to be “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Proclaimed by Pope Francis before his passing, the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year has invited people of the world to observe a ‘Year of Hope.’ This hope is to be nurtured by a spiritual renewal that, in turn, encourages a hopeful vision for the future amidst global challenges like war and the climate crisis. It is a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of Creation.

Many people will recall the inspiring moment on Christmas Eve 2024 when, as he opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis officially declared the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee Year. Since that time, dioceses and parishes throughout the world have promoted Jubilee Year events and opportunities making it possible to fulfill Pope Francis’ instruction and desire that we “…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.”

Making our spiritual journey in faith, we find our hope in Christ by seeking renewal and deeper communion with God. As pilgrims of hope we trust in God’s promises and serve as beacons of hope in the world ever mindful of St. Paul’s words: “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) We inspire others by living out our faith in joy through our acts of love and mercy.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime for me to go to Rome and share in the global recognition of the Jubilee Year. The pilgrimage made it possible to visit and pray at the Major Basilicas, churches, and shrines in Rome and Assisi – and to join with countless others from around the world in observing the Holy Year by entering the Holy Door at St. Peter’s.

We also attended several major audiences over which Pope Leo XIV presided. Our group even managed to offer the Holy Father a special baseball cap emblazoned with the seal of the Boston Red Sox!

Pope Leo spoke to us about the power of the Lord’s Paschal Mystery. He noted that the Resurrection teaches us that no one’s life story is so marked by disappointment or sin that it cannot be “visited by hope.” He said “no fall is definitive, no night eternal, no wound destined to remain open forever. However far away we may feel, however lost or unworthy, there is no distance that can extinguish the unfailing power of God’s love.” The Holy Father encouraged us to “return to our homes with hearts burning with joy – a simple joy that does not erase our wounds but illuminates them; a joy born of the certainty that the Lord is alive, that He walks with us, and that at every moment He offers us the chance to begin again.”

As we move into the final months of the Jubilee Year, may our hearts be open to God’s grace to continue making our spiritual journey in faith, finding our hope in Christ by seeking renewal and deeper communion with God. As pilgrims of hope we trust in God’s promises and serve as beacons of hope in the world ever mindful of St. Paul’s words: “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) Let us inspire others by living out our faith in joy through our acts of love and mercy.

The Holy Year will conclude on the Solemnity of the Epiphany (January 6, 2026).