A Jubilee Year of Hope
By Janet Schaeffler, OP
Janet Schaeffler, OP, shares biblical perspectives on hope for the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee Year.
Throughout the universal church, we are now beginning a Holy Year. A Jubilee or Holy Year is a time of prayer, pilgrimage, and acts of mercy, built on the Old Testament tradition of a jubilee year of rest, forgiveness, and renewal (see Leviticus 25–27). Holy Years in the church first began in 1300; since 1490 they have been celebrated every 25 years. The last ordinary jubilee was the Great Jubilee of 2000.
The motto given to this Holy Year, “Pilgrims of Hope,” expresses Pope Francis’s belief that the year “can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal\ and rebirth that we so urgently desire.”
The craving for hope appears today in all types of conversations, reflections, articles, and books, and even in our mainstream media. Hope is the driving force of all human action, and a central theme found in Scripture.
What do we really mean by “hope”?
Often we are reminded that authentic hope is not wishful thinking, natural optimism, passive waiting, an upbeat attitude, the simple longing for something wonderful to happen, or the cheerful attitude of “everything is going to be all right.” Nor is hope a feeling or belief that is based upon “empirical facts.” Rather, hope is believing in promises—God’s promises—and believing that God has the power to fulfill those promises.
Jesuit Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a man of realistic hope. After giving a talk summarizing the Scriptural vision of unity and peace for the world, he was challenged by colleagues: “That's a wonderful vision, but suppose we blow up the world with a nuclear bomb, what happens to your vision?”
“That would set things back millions of years,” de Chardin replied, “but this will still come to fruition, not because I say so or because the facts right now indicate that it will, but because God promised it and in the resurrection of Jesus has shown he delivers on his promise.”
Teilhard de Chardin was echoing God’s words in Jeremiah 33:14: “The days are coming when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.” God promised the people of Jeremiah’s time that new life was coming, that there would be safety and justice after years of danger and discrimination. God continues to promise us today that new life can come out of the places we might think are hopeless. Authentic hope lies not in us but in the steadfastness of God’s promises.
Hope is not complacent
Even though the essence of hope is rooted in God’s promises and action, we—co-creators with God—have a responsibility. At times, “hope” might even be an obstacle if it is a basis for our inaction.
We may hope, for example, that those in leadership will solve the climate crisis; yet hope is not enough. St. Augustine said: “Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” Hope calls us to action.
Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish climate activist, declared: “When we start to act, hope is everywhere. So, instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then the hope will come.”
Glenmary Fr. John Rausch, an advocate for the people of Appalachia, once said: “We in the church have got to look around rather than look up, look around to the sufferings and struggles of people and nature. When we do look up it’s got to be with a plea that our hearts can be more attentive to the needs of others. God has empowered us. We can’t let God take the bum rap for why things aren’t done.”
St. Paul exemplifies the persevering action that flows from the virtue of hope. He tells us, for example, that he “worked night and day” (1 Thess 2:9).
And so it is in our lives of discipleship today, where hope continues to call us to no less than total commitment.
