Pope Francis: The Jubilee invites us to begin again

Screenshot - Audience in Paul VI Hall

Source: Vatican Media

In his first Jubilee Audience on Saturday, Pope Francis described the Jubilee Year as a time for a new beginning, rooted in the transformative power of God's Kingdom, drawing on the example of John the Baptist, a "great prophet of hope."

These words resonated throughout his Catechesis, serving as both a call to action and a reminder of the Jubilee's essence: the opportunity for everyone to start anew from God, our ultimate source of hope.

Hope, the theme of the 2025 Holy Year, will be the main subject of this new cycle of bi-weekly audiences, integrating the traditional Wednesday catechetical sessions.

Addressing nearly 8,000 people in the Paul VI Hall, Pope Francis centred his reflection on John the Baptist, whom he described as a "great prophet of hope."

Highlighting John's pivotal role in biblical history, the Pope referred to Jesus' praise of him as the "greatest among those born of women" (Lk 7:24,26-28).

John's mission, marked by his call for repentance and renewal symbolized by crossing the River Jordan, mirrors the pilgrimage of Christians crossing the Holy Door during the Jubilee. This act, Pope Francis explained, represents a new beginning, a deep spiritual reset.

Hope, as the Pope elaborated, is not merely "a habit or a character trait", but a "strength ("virtus" in Latin) to be asked for", a gift of God that spurs Christians "to start again on the journey of life."

As the Gospel of Luke tells us, it requires a recognition of our human smallness in the face of God's greatness. "It does not depend on us, but on the Kingdom of God," where even the "least" become great, the Pope said.

"Welcoming the Kingdom of God leads us to a new order of greatness. Our world, all of us need this!"

Pope Francis also addressed the struggles of faith, drawing on John the Baptist's own moments of doubt during his imprisonment. These doubts, the Pope noted, resonate with the challenges faced by Christians today navigating a world where "many Herods" still "oppose the Kingdom of God."

Yet, he stressed, the Gospel provides an antidote to this despair through its transformative teachings, particularly the Beatitudes, which chart a new path of hope.

Pope Francis concluded with a call to embrace hope and renewal through service and fraternity, particularly towards the least, and through responsibility for our "common home" the Earth "so abused and wounded."

This, he said, is the essence of the Jubilee: a new beginning grounded in God and a commitment to love and service.

"Let us start again from this originality of God, which shone in Jesus and which now binds us to serve, to love fraternally, to acknowledge ourselves as small. And to see the least, to listen to them and to be their voice. Here is the new beginning, our Jubilee!"

Watch the Audience on VaticanYoutube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku8EH2IQsBU