The Church continues to prepare for the Jubilee Year 2025. We have already talked about the Holy Door that will be open at St. Peter’s Basilica and the other Roman basilicas during the Holy Year as a symbol of pilgrimage through life leading to the Father. There are other characteristics of a Jubilee Year that will be part of our celebrations over the coming year.
Reconciliation is a hallmark of a Jubilee. A jubilee year was a time when enemies were to be reconciled and wars were to be settled. It certainly would be an act of God if the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and other troubled parts of the world were to be justly settled in preparation for the Jubilee Year. It would be a blessed time to put family differences aside and seek healing and reconciliation if there is trouble in your own family. And certainly, each of us can experience reconciliation through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, taking advantage of this time to rediscover the value of confession and experiencing the personal words of forgiveness.
Prayer is another aspect of the Jubilee Year. We are always called to be people of prayer, but there are certain times, like Lent, when the Church asks us to focus on our prayer life. A Jubilee Year is another such time. There are many reasons and ways to pray, but at the root of prayer is always the desire to be open to God’s presence and his offer of love. It is the Spirit of the Son that calls the Christian community to prayer and allows each person to return to the Father. May our prayer be more focused during this Jubilee Year.
Jubilee Years also offer opportunities for indulgences to the faithful. An indulgence is the remission of temporal punishment as the result of sin, a payment of the debt that is owed for sin, if you will. An indulgence is offered, for example, when passing through the holy doors, when that act is accompanied by the reception of the Eucharist, sacramental Confession, and prayers for the Holy Father. The Church, wishing to extend God’s mercy, offers many opportunities to obtain indulgences for the living and deceased.
As you may know, I am organizing a pilgrimage to Rome and Italy during the Jubilee Year next February 7-19, 2025, and you are invited! During this pilgrimage, we will walk through the Holy Door to receive an indulgence, and spend time in prayer and celebrate the Mass in some beautiful and historic Churches and shrines throughout Italy. It is certain to be an amazing experience with great food and wonderful company! You may find more information or register for the pilgrimage at www.traveltymepilgrimages.com.
The Jubilee Year will be extra special for all of us at St. Margaret of Scotland as we are also preparing to celebrate the 125th anniversary of our parish this coming Christmas! God is good and we have much to celebrate and be grateful for!