Sacramentum: The coming year of Hope
Sacramentum is a series devised by the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, exploring the sacraments of the Catholic Church and other aspects of parish life and Catholic devotion. In this reflection, Sr. Connie Harkin of the School Sisters of Notre Dame offers a reflection on the upcoming “Pilgrims of Hope” Jubilee Year, and how it can help us focus our hearts on God in the year ahead.
Soon, in a matter of days, it will be 2025!
Before we change our calendars, let us take a look at the year gone by. Yet, by the time you read this, 2024 will have slipped by us in the blink of an eye. In twelve months, many events, people, and places have been a part of our lives. To name them off would only be “scratching the surface.” Each experience would be as singular and unique as the one who takes the time to recall them.
As we read in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” For you, this year may have been filled with happy moments, changes in employment, maybe retirement, the death of a loved one, the welcoming new members into a family, a new place to call ‘home.’ The list is endless.
We may find ourselves asking, “Where is God in all this?” Is it also worth pondering, “Was God on my radar in 2024?” or “Did I leave Him standing on the doorstep?” These queries may be worth a few moments of reflection, before we turn the page on our calendars and the new year rings in.
It goes without saying that life is full of surprises, and we can lose sight of the bigger picture if we do not stop, look and listen. God speaks and the inner ears of our hearts will reveal what we need to hear. But we must be always attentive and ready to hear His voice.
We are soon to be on the threshold of a new year – 2025. This will be no ordinary year. It will be a significant year in our universal Church, commemorating the 2025 “Pilgrims of Hope” Jubilee Year. And what does this theme mean? We can simply quote our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as he states the following:
“We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope. This will indeed be the case if we are capable of recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity.”
In our Archdiocese, we are invited to embark – as we are able – on a special Pilgrims of Hope Marian pilgrimage throughout 2025. Details will soon be available to us so that we can celebrate accordingly. Stay tuned and stop, look and listen. What a privilege to have such local opportunities to make this Jubilee Year a memorable one! Let us pray for one another as we venture forth to be participants on such a journey to “restore a climate of hope.”