The theme of the Jubilee year 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope.” How can we live this theme? As hundreds of thousands travel to Rome for the Jubilee year, they go forward in hope, trusting that the Lord is ready to work miracles in their lives. Perhaps they go with specific intentions or anxiety heavy in their hearts. Maybe they go on behalf of a family member or a friend. They travel on pilgrimage in hope, knowing that their prayers will be answered–even if in ways they do not expect or imagine.
Even those who don’t go on pilgrimage to Rome for the Holy Year are called to be Pilgrims of Hope. How can you be a pilgrim of hope? Below are some suggestions, but take some time to think of your own ideas, too
Go on a Local Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage doesn’t have to end in Rome or even involve traveling to another country. You can travel on pilgrimage to one of the many shrines and holy places in your own country! You can even make a trip to your own cathedral a pilgrimage, as long as you embark with the proper disposition and intention. Maybe there is a walking pilgrimage in your area (we recommend checking out Modern Catholic Pilgrim!). On our podcast, In Via, we’ve talked about the importance of going on pilgrimage with our families – check out this episode).
Choose an act of Penance
How does doing penance show hope? Well, we don’t embrace penance and acts of mortification because we like suffering. The Church calls us to do penance for several reasons, including to make reparation for our sins, but it’s also a reminder to us that we are living for the next world, not this world. Things like chocolate, soft drinks, alcohol, or sleeping in late aren’t in and of themselves sinful, so why would we give them up for a time? To remind ourselves (our mind and our will and our body!) that there is something better than these things waiting for us in the next life. I can say no to these things now, offering them up, keeping my perspective focused on the much better things of heaven. When I get discouraged by this life, I can remember to have hope: heaven is much better than this.
Pray to the Holy Spirit
Sometimes it seems that the Third Person of the Holy Trinity is the most forgotten! When was the last time you prayed to the Holy Spirit, asking him to increase his gifts in you? We can’t have hope without his help. We can’t pray without his help! (Romans 8:26-27)
Go to Confession
In the face of our own sin, how can we possibly have hope? God gives us his incredible gift of mercy through the sacrament of confession. Whether it’s been a month or twenty years, Christ is waiting for you in the confessional! Pope Francis wrote, “The sacrament of Reconciliation is not only a magnificent spiritual gift, but also a decisive, essential and fundamental step on our journey of faith. There, we allow the Lord to erase our sins, to heal our hearts, to raise us up, to embrace us and to reveal to us his tender and compassionate countenance. There is no better way to know God than to let him reconcile us to himself (cf. 2 Cor 5:20) and savour his forgiveness. Let us not neglect Confession, but rediscover the beauty of this sacrament of healing and joy, the beauty of God’s forgiveness of our sins!”
Strive to be a person of hope
How can we give hope to someone we encounter today? It might be as easy as a smile to a stranger. Perhaps it’s a kind word to the cashier at the store. Maybe it’s helping a coworker with a task without complaining. The more we spread joy instead of angst, charity instead of hate, unity instead of divisiveness, the more we can sow hope.
Interested in going on pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee? Join us! You can find more information here.
