“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom 5:1-5)
These words of encouragement remind us that true hope is rooted in God’s love and faithfulness. This same hope is central to this Jubilee Year of Hope, a time of renewal and encounter with the Lord.
The Jubilee of Hope comes at a moment when many might struggle with uncertainty, doubt and even despair about the future. As Pope Francis reflects in Spes Non Confundit, the bull of indiction for the Jubilee: “Everyone knows what it is to hope... yet uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to anxiety and doubt” (SNC, 1). The Pope invites all of us to overcome this uncertainty by turning to Christ, the “door of our salvation” (Jn 10:9) and the One whom the Church proclaims as “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1).
Hope, however, is not a transitory emotion or mere optimism. It is a confident trust that God is at work in our lives, even when we cannot see it. It is the anchor that sustains us through suffering and uncertainty, as St. Paul reminds us: “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope” (Rom 5:3-4). This hope is not rooted in human strength but in the love of God, poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us because of our baptism.
The Second Vatican Council points out the importance of this divine hope, stating that “when people are deprived of this divine support, and lack hope in eternal life, their dignity is deeply impaired... so that people are frequently thrown into despair” (GS, 21). The Jubilee Year calls us to rediscover this hope and to share it with a world that desperately needs it.
Rejoicing in this Jubilee, the Church invites every Catholic to reflect on their relationship with Christ, who is the source of all hope. Only through a personal encounter with him can we experience the fullness of this gift. Christ is the steadfast anchor that holds us firm in the storms of life, and the Jubilee offers an opportunity to renew our trust in him.
In the Archdiocese of Denver, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila encourages all Catholics to embrace this Jubilee of Hope as a time of prayer, renewal and proclamation. For the month of January, Archbishop invites us all to pray for the Jubilee of Hope, asking that the universal Church may confidently give a reason for our hope — Christ, our hope, who does not disappoint.
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have gifted us in
your son Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity
kindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us, the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into diligent cultivators of the evangelical seeds
that make humanity and the cosmos rise
unto the confident expectation
of the new heavens and the new earth,
when with the powers of Evil overcome,
your glory shall be manifested eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
the yearning for heavenly treasures
and pour over all the earth
the joy and peace
of our Redeemer.
To you God blessed in eternity,
be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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