On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis will open the Holy Doors in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, marking the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2025. This solemn and joyful occasion will usher in a year of grace for Catholics worldwide. The last Jubilee was celebrated in 2015 during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, and prior to that, Pope St. John Paul II opened the Holy Year for the turn of the Millennium in 2000. Now, in 2025, the Church calls all the faithful to embark on a new spiritual pilgrimage under the theme: Pilgrims of Hope.
The Jubilee Year is always a time of spiritual renewal and a call to deepen our relationship with God. It is a moment when Catholics are invited to rediscover the light of Christ in their hearts and to share that light with the world. For 2025, the theme Pilgrims of Hope carries a powerful message for a world grappling with immense challenges: from the effects of war and poverty, to the global climate crisis and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In these difficult times, the theme reminds us of the central hope of our Christian faith—the hope that is rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the light that dispels darkness and the strength that sustains us. As Pilgrims of Hope, we are called to renew our own faith, reach out in charity, and spread the peace and joy of the Gospel to all those in need.
The Jubilee is a special moment to reignite the flame of faith within our hearts. It is an invitation to reflect on the love and mercy of God, and to become more fully engaged in living out the Gospel in our daily lives. It is a time to be strengthened by God’s grace and to become messengers of hope for others, especially in a world that so often seems overwhelmed by darkness and despair.
This year of grace is also an opportunity to reconnect with the tradition of pilgrimage. Pilgrims throughout history have journeyed to holy sites seeking spiritual renewal, and this Jubilee invites us to embark on our own pilgrimage, not necessarily to a distant place, but into the depths of our hearts and into the lives of those around us.
In the spirit of this Holy Year, we are encouraged to pray together, asking for God’s grace and guidance as we journey through the Jubilee. The Jubilee Prayer is a powerful expression of this longing for renewal and transformation:
Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within
both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you, our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise forever. Amen.
As we approach the opening of the Jubilee Year, let us prepare our hearts for a transformative journey. Whether we are called to live out our faith through prayer, acts of charity, or personal reflection, we are all invited to be part of this universal pilgrimage. As Pilgrims of Hope, we carry the light of Christ into every corner of the world, bringing hope to those who need it most.
In the coming months, the Church will provide many opportunities to participate in this extraordinary year of grace. Let us embrace the invitation of this Holy Year with open hearts and renewed dedication, walking together toward the promise of eternal life.
Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo - SRI LANKA
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