Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
As a new year begins in January, many of us make New Year’s resolutions, or, perhaps, set some goals for the year. For those of us who are Catholic, our Church asks us to be Pilgrims of Hope during Jubilee Year 2025.
Jubilee years are held once every 25 years and are special years of forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal. While most will be unable to make a pilgrimage to Rome this year, we can try to embody hope-filled lives centered on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Jubilee 2025 logo shows four figures, representing all of humanity, coming from the four corners of the earth. They embrace each other to indicate the solidarity and fraternity which should unite all peoples. The lead figure holds onto the cross, not only a sign of faith but also a sign of hope. The rough waves symbolize that daily life sometimes requires a geater call for hope. The lower part of the cross is in the shape of an anchor which is a symbol of hope.
What is hope? The U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults defines it as “the theological virtue through which a person both desires and expects the fulfillment of God’s promises of things to come.” St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the following: “Faith has to to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not at hand.” In the papal bull announcing the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis wrote, “As Saint Augustine observes, ‘Whatever our state of life, we cannot live without these three dispositions of the soul, namely, to believe, to hope and to love.’ ”
As we are challenged to be pilgrims of hope this year, what are we hoping for in God’s plan? How can we grow to trust God more deeply and be a beacon of hope in an often turbulent world? How can we be more forgiving, patient, and agents of reconciliation?
Artists, with their vocation to beauty, can renew the world with the gift of hope. During Jubilee 2025 various festivals for groups of people will be held. In the Diocese of St. Augustine a Festival of Artists will be held in February at the Mission Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine. Plein Air artists will be invited to capture the beauty of the historic site in a Plein Air Invitational Feb. 1-20 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.. An art exhibit featuring the work of Roger Bansemer, “On the Path to Beauty,” will run from Feb. 1 to Mar. 16 at the Mission Museum. A closing event will be held on Sun. Feb. 16 from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine where Elizabeth Gessner will give a brief lecture about the sacred artwork at the Cathedral Basilica followed by a free public tour.
This year also marks the 375th anniversary of the founding of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Le Puy, France in October of 1650. If you would like to learn more about the history of our founding Sisters in both Le Puy and our pioneer founding Sisters in St. Augustine, I encourage you to visit the Father Miguel O’Reilly House Museum and Gardens that is officially re-opening after being closed for four years on Saturday, Feb. 1st, at 10 a.m. The museum and gardens will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed during lunch time.
