I ended the year 2024 before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, with a Holy Hour at St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield. I began the year 2025 with a Midnight Mass of Mary, Mother of God at St. Agnes Cathedral. It was a lovely way to end the old and begin the new, praying the rosary and the chaplet of Divine Mercy with a nice crowd of laity and religious, asking Our Lord’s blessings in the year to come. And I guess because it was such a beautiful way to end and to start the year, it was all the more devastating to discover the terrorist attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people and injured dozens of others.
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, the striking contrast between my experience and that of New Orleans, highlights all the more our need for a savior, Jesus Christ, the source of our hope.
In the Holy Father’s document “Hope Does Not Disappoint,” “Spes Non Confundit,” He reminds us, “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.” And in a very insightful thought he states, “Often, we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic, and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed and hope.”
How true it is, how easy it is, to look around and see all the negative, the bad, the sinfulness of this world. Yet, in the midst of this reality, the Holy Father reminds us that we are called to be people of hope. This hope is born out of love and flows from the pierced heart of Jesus upon the cross. This hope is drawn from the Holy Spirit, which is ever-present in the Church, shining as a beacon of hope. Pope Francis highlights the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 5:3-4, proclaiming, “We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” In the midst of the negative, sinful, depressing events of life, the Christian is always marked by hope. The end result of our sufferings is hope, and only God can do such a thing. Hope is the work of God alive in the heart of each believer.
PILGRIMAGE TO OUR CATHEDRALS
Noting that a fundamental element of every jubilee is “pilgrimage,” the Jubilee Churches in the city of Rome and our own Cathedrals—St. Mary of the Annunciation, in Cape Girardeau, and St. Agnes in Springfield—are special places of grace, reconciliation, and hope. The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation is privileged to have a relic of the True Cross on display. Saint Agnes Cathedral will have a crucifix on display for prayer as well.
During this jubilee year, a plenary indulgence can be obtained to remove the temporal punishment due to our sins and can be applied to the souls in purgatory. To obtain an indulgence, the usual conditions of detachment from all sin, sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father must be met. For those unable to travel, a work of mercy or fasting from social media, participating in a pro-life event or volunteering can be ways that the jubilee plenary indulgence can be obtained.
In praying for the intentions of the Holy Father the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be are recommended.
As with every papal document, the Blessed Mother is always highlighted. Pope Francis states, “Hope finds its supreme witness in the Mother of God. In the Blessed Virgin, we see that hope is not naive optimism but a gift of grace amid the realities of life. Like every mother, whenever Mary looked at her son, she thought of His future.” Pope Francis then highlights the words of Simeon, that a sword of sorrow would pierce Mary’s heart. And of course, we have no greater image of hope than Mary at the foot of the cross. As she lived through the agony of the cross, she would also share in the joy of the resurrection.
We have just completed a year dedicated to the 350th anniversary of the revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We continue to foster a renewed love and devotion to the Eucharist through the Eucharistic Revival. This year is the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed and the Jubilee Year of Hope. When you put all of these things together, this is an exciting moment as we enter into the year 2025. The tragedy in New Orleans will not define us. No, let us be defined by faith, hope, and charity.
“O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine.”
Published in the January 03, 2025 issue of The Mirror.
Photo: Getty Images