The Invitation of Jubilee

We have hope, and we have Joy, 
Consecrated to the Holy Lord 
We humbly walk, we act with justice,
We rise with one accord  
On a journey of faith, 
A journey of faith. 

This is the chorus of the Jubilee Song commissioned by the Conference of Religious of Australia (CRA) and composed by Steven Hyland Pope Francis when he first spoke of the Jubilee Year set the theme would be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ to be a year of hope for a world suffering the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of Covid 19 and the climate crisis.

He said: ‘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 CRA President Brother Gerard Brady CFC referred to the year as a threshold to cross over to new possibilities and he invited us to reflect on threshold moments in our own lives and what we have learnt from them on the journey.

Many of us who are religious and also many of our companions will know well the meaning of crossing over as we have done it many times in different phases of life. We have moved from place to place, country to country, from our cultures of origin to places of difference, new life, adventure and challenge. We will have also crossed thresholds in different stages of life, sometimes with enthusiasm and sometimes with resistance.

Perhaps we can reflect on the threshold invitation of this moment. For many of us it may be the threshold of ageing and for others it will be the challenge of responsibility as they move into an uncertain, if exciting, future. These threshold moments require resilience, courage and we rely on hope.

Pope Francis when he opened the second holy door for the Jubilee at the Rebibbia prison said: ‘I wanted this second door to be here, in a prison. I wanted each of us, all of us who are here, inside and outside, to have the possibility of opening the doors of our hearts and understanding that hope does not disappoint,’ he insisted.

This year of Jubilee invites each one of us to cross some threshold in our lives. It may be an invitation to offer compassion, forgiveness and it might be that the invitation is to self-compassion and self-forgiveness. Above all as we cross many congregation thresholds we are invited to plant seeds of hope.

A seed of hope for myself, A seed of hope for justice, A seed of hope for Earth, A seed of hope for the environment, A seed of hope for my family/friends, A seed of hope for (insert your own intention)