From Father Varghese’s Desk
A Jubilee Year of Hope 2025!
Pope Francis has recently opened the “Holy Doors” at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, marking the beginning of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025. In unity, every cathedral across America has done the same. This tradition of Jubilee, celebrated every 25 years since Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first in 1300 AD, is deeply rooted in both Christian and Jewish heritage. In the Jewish tradition, Jubilee was a sacred time for forgiving debts, extending mercy, and embracing renewal. This year, the Jubilee theme is “Pilgrims of Hope.”
Central to this year of grace is the opportunity for spiritual renewal and forgiveness, available to those who visit designated pilgrimage sites. I encourage you to read Pope Francis’ Spes Non Confundit, the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Holy Year 2025. In this inspiring document, the Holy Father extends a heartfelt message: “To all who read this letter, may hope fill your hearts.”
Who among us does not need hope? I found this letter deeply moving, filled with encouragement and wisdom. Imagine receiving Pope Francis’ words as if they were addressed directly to you, a personal invitation to embrace hope. Indeed, the Lord continually desires to share Himself with us, and perhaps this Jubilee Year will awaken in us an unprecedented hope—for our families, our friends, the Church, and a world so desperately in need of it.
Pope Francis urges us to embark on pilgrimages to designated sacred places, such as our Cathedral, and to pass through the Holy Doors as a sign of our spiritual journey. He also encourages us to practice hope through tangible acts of love: visiting the sick, comforting the elderly, supporting migrants, instilling hope in children, and reaching out to neighbors.
Let us ask the Lord to fill our hearts with hope and inspire us to share it with others. May this Jubilee Year become a beacon of hope for the world, a testament to the presence of Jesus in our lives.
Remember, forgiveness does not alter the past; it cannot undo what has already occurred. However, it holds the power to transform our future, freeing us from anger, bitterness, and resentment. Embracing forgiveness allows us to walk forward with hearts unburdened and lives renewed.
Join me, along with the entire Church, in celebrating this extraordinary Jubilee Year of Hope. Together, let us become witnesses to the transformative power of faith, hope, and love.
Have a Good Week and God Bless
Father Varghese
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