Hey Deacon

The Jubilee Year 2025 is quickly approaching: so, what is it and how can we participate?

Did you make a New Year’s resolution for 2024? How is that going? Mine was to do better at arriving at scheduled events early and not be late. My wife smiled at me and laughed. Anyway, there is still hope for you and me because Pope Frances has declared The Jubilee Year of 2025 with the theme of “Pilgrims of Hope.” He actually made the declaration back in the summer of 2022. Having already lost over a year of preparation, it’s time to put on the armor of God, take up the shield of faith, and get to work. (Eph 6:11-17)

What is a Jubilee Year?

A jubilee year, also called a Holy Year in the Catholic Church, is celebrated every 25 years (50 years for Golden Jubilee), commemorating either a special milestone or an anniversary. It is rooted in the biblical concept found in the Book of Leviticus (Lev 25:8-13) in which God commanded the Israelites to observe a jubilee year every 50 years. During this year, the trumpet was sounded throughout the land, proclaiming the forgiveness of debt and the return of ancestral properties. For Catholics, the jubilee carries deep theological significance and serves as a time of spiritual renewal, forgiveness, rest, and reconciliation.

How can we prepare and participate?

In late 2022, Pope Francis had asked the faithful to prepare by reading the four Vatican II constitutions during 2023. If you want to catch up on your homework, the four documents are: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (“Sacrosanctum Concilium”); Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (“Lumen Gentium”); Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (“Dei Verbum”); and Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (“Gaudium et Spes”). Do an internet search and look for some simple and user-friendly summary articles that flow from the spirit of these documents.

For the year 2024, Pope Francis asks that we focus on prayer. This can be done in the comfort of your home, through community with others, or by visiting religious sites. Some suggestions are:

At home, you can pray a 54-day novena to the Holy Spirit, a 33-day consecration to Mary or St. Joseph, Bible in a year, etc. One of my favorites is reading and meditating on a psalm each day.

Travel or pray in community with fellow Catholic, or even better, with non-Catholics to share the beauty of our faith. Break bread together and exchange tales of faith. Forge bonds that transcend religious denominations boundaries and strengthen the beauty of belonging to the universal Church.

If taking a pilgrimage road trip, consider participating in one of our local diocesan pilgrimages. The Sacred Heart of Jesus pilgrimage consists of visiting all 12 parishes in our dioceses that are dedicated to Jesus’ Sacred Heart. Information is available on the diocesan website.

Another option is the 2024 Anima Christi Pilgrimage sponsored by the St. John Henry Newman Center at Southeast Missouri State University. It begins on Sunday, March 10, at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Joplin and concludes on Sunday, March 17, at the St. John Newman Center in Cape. There will be daily Mass each morning and Eucharistic Adoration at all of the 20 parishes along the way. The closest site in our area is Our Lady of the Cove in Kimberling City on Monday, March 11. Details to be released soon.

The approaching Holy Year in 2025 is a time for overflowing grace and spiritual renewal. Embarking on a pilgrimage in 2024 is not just a pre-celebration, but a way to prepare our hearts for the flood of blessings yet to come.

Author Bio:
Deacon Dan Vaughn