I remember when I ran a half marathon. It was difficult. There were moments when I had doubts if I could finish. Then at seemingly the most difficult moments, there was a reprieve: a table of volunteers with cups of water, snacks, and encouragement that gave me enough of a boost to continue on in completing the race.
This year is sort of a rest stop for us as pilgrims on the journey of life, for we are celebrating the Jubilee of Hope!
A Jubilee is a special celebration held every 25 years in the Church. It is a time when we are afforded even more opportunities to deepen our faith and seek forgiveness for our sins. This year, we are asked to reconnect and strengthen the virtue of hope within us and within our community.
Hope: A Virtue That Guides Us
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 1817), “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
I couldn’t have run the race alone, but when I received help, sustenance, and support from the volunteers, that’s when I knew I would be able to finish the journey. Even more importantly, a pilgrim walking in hope is a pilgrim grounded and strengthened in the love of God. Life is messy, painful, difficult... but it is also joyous, beautiful, and loving. When we place our trust in God, we can maneuver through all the good and bad with our focus firmly rooted towards our ultimate destination.
Hope is necessary. This Jubilee Year will help us to grow in that virtue. Churches around the world will have pilgrimage sites dedicated to this Jubilee Year.
Pope Francis on Hope and Patience
As Pope Francis says in his Papal Bull establishing this Holy Jubilee: “This interplay of hope and patience makes us see clearly that the Christian life is a journey calling for moments of greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as the constant companion that guides our steps towards the goal of our encounter with the Lord Jesus.”
Happy New Year and happy Jubilee!
Daniel Quintero is a stand-up comedian currently attending Mary, Mother of the Church Catholic Parish. His favorite motto: “Awkwardness does not exist.”
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.
