Pope Francis has invited us to live this Jubilee year as “Pilgrims of Hope”. His invitation draws us into reflecting on what hope means to us as Christians in these times. The truth is that life is hard, and we live in a world filled with conflict, affliction, and anxiety. We live in a world in need of hope.
Christian hope is very different from secular hope. While secular hope is a wish for something to happen, Christian hope is the expectation of something that has already been fulfilled. Christian hope is the certainty that I am walking toward something that is, not something that I ‘hope’ may be.
The core truth is that Christian hope is a confidence that Jesus is in charge. Pope Francis is reminding us that hope is a journey. We are to be pilgrims of hope, journeying with Christ toward the Father who awaits us. As St. Paul tells us:
Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Romans 5:5
When I hear St. Paul’s words to the Romans, I think about the early Christian community, in particular, the apostles. They had journeyed with Jesus for three years during his public ministry only to face disappointment, disbelief, and fear after his Crucifixion. When the news of the Resurrection reached them, they hoped against all hope, that Jesus was still with them and God’s promises were fulfilled. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit wiped away their fear and disappointment and filled their hearts with the Father’s love. This “generous pour” of the Spirit opened their eyes to their new life on earth and the promise of eternal life in heaven with the Father.
We, too, have difficult challenges in our lives when we hope against all hope that some circumstance turns out the way we would want. Think how you have felt when a loved one you have prayed for healing, has not recovered. Think of an adult child whom you have prayed to return to their Catholic faith, is still separated from the Church. We can have confidence in the hope that does not disappoint. We, too, have received this “generous pour” of God’s love by the Holy Spirit through our Baptism. Jesus has fulfilled our hope through his life, death, and resurrection.
Christian hope is always tied to the joy of Easter, expressed in the Resurrection. As “Pilgrims of Hope” we are called to be Resurrection people. When we truly grasp what we have been promised in eternity through the Resurrection, we are able to go through the hard times of life with an entirely different attitude … an attitude of hope.
In the spirit of the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis has urged us to be
“tangible signs of hope to those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind.” (Spes non confundit, 10).
For each of us, this will take different shapes but the question is the same – how can I make a difference in small ways to bring hope to someone God has placed in my life or made me aware of? Pope Francis reminds us that works of mercy are works of hope. In this Jubilee year, we are invited to practice the corporal works of mercy with a renewed energy and love of neighbor: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and welcoming the stranger.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed be glory and praise for ever. Amen. Excerpt from the Prayer of Pope Francis for the Jubilee of the year 2025
Debbie Garza is a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Leon Springs, and is an experienced Pilgrimage Group Leader with Pilgrim Center of Hope. She has traveled with Pilgrim Center of Hope to the Holy Land, Italy, and Greece. She says, “On pilgrimage, I know the ears and eyes of my heart have been opened by God’s grace and I’ve experienced the Joy of the Gospel. I am committed to helping other pilgrims experience their personal journey of faith.” Debra is also a member of Pilgrim Center of Hope’s Speaker Team.
Answering Christ’s call, Pilgrim Center of Hope guides people to encounter Him so as to live in hope, as pilgrims in daily life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
