On December 24th, 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, officially inaugurating the Church’s Jubilee year. Our Jubilee theme this year: Hope!
In western Christianity, the celebration of jubilee years first arose from the journey of pilgrims to Rome in 1299. They traveled long distances by foot to pray before the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul. Moved by their devotion, Pope Boniface VII declared the following year, 1300, a jubilee year dedicated to the forgiveness of sins.
Since then, the Church has typically celebrated a jubilee year roughly every 25 or 50 years with extraordinary jubilee years declared as spiritual needs arose. You may recall that Pope Francis proclaimed the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2015.
Our jubilee year concludes on December 28th, 2025, when the Pope will again close the Holy Doors. While these door remain open, we are challenged to keep our hearts open as well to the power and lessons of hope in our lives and times. As the Bull of Indiction (the papal decree) of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025 proclaims, “Spes non confundit – Hope does not disappoint.”
Let us invoke the Spirit of God throughout this year to fill our hearts with the gift of hope. Recalling Psalm 27, “Have hope and wait for the Lord, be strong and wait for the Lord.” Paul explains in his Letter to the Romans (5:5), “this hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Pope Francis cites the prophet Isaiah in encouraging us to lift our eyes to the horizon and see the blessings that God has in store for us.
Could it be though that we have tried a lot of things in the past and are tired of waiting? Perhaps our own discernment has left us feeling disappointed and discouraged. Have you been there?Pope Francis observes that, “we often find that some people have lost hope, they look towards the future with skepticism and pessimism, as if nothing can offer them joy” (Spes non confundit, 1). Sadly, there are young adults who believe they no longer deserve hope because they have failed Jesus.
If you’re experiencing something of this despair in your own life, take heart! Give hope another look! Don’t turn away from it; the door is open to you.
When you experience a crisis in your vocation, take a moment to realize that you may, in fact, be standing on a personal and spiritual threshold. A simple step bravely taken through the open door of hope can bring you into a new realm of possibility for your life. Pope Saint John Paul II exclaimed as the central message of his pontificate, “Do not be afraid. Open, I say, open wide the doors for Christ! …. I plead with you – never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” To that, I affirm to you, “Amen”.
Everything that we have reflected so far should be tied up with discerning a vocation, making a decision with our lives and finally, trusting that Jesus will sustain our vocations. As we begin this jubilee year, give hope a chance. Discerning a vocation is an inner journey with an outer purpose. Your vocation in the Church can touch so many lives. What a great year to discern a vocation!
We invite you to one of two paths – missionary priesthood or missionary Brotherhood. Both begin with the same spark – that unique moment when Jesus calls each of us to say, “yes”. I said “yes” and I hope you can do the same. Give Jesus a chance! If you want to know what are the initial steps to discern a vocation in Maryknoll, contact the vocation office.
Be assured of my prayers for you as we embark in this Year of Hope!
– Fr. Rodrigo
