Jubilee 2025: The little girl Hope

Charles Peguy's The Portal of the Mystery of Hope (Le porche de mystere de la deuxieme vertu in its original title) appears a necessary read for the Jubilee 2025. The extracts below are taken from the early pages of David Schindler's translation, and offer a kind of taster for the whole.

The faith that I love the best, says God, is hope.

Faith doesn't surprise me.
It's not surprising.
I am so resplendent in my creation....

Charity, says God, that doesn't surprise me.
It's not surprising.
These poor creatures are so miserable that unless they had a heart of stone, how could they not have love for each other ....

But hope, says God, that is something that surprises me.
Even me.
That is surprising.
That these poor children see how things are going and believe that tomorrow things will go better....

What surprises me, says God, is hope.
And I can't get over it.
This little hope who seems like nothing at all.
This little girl hope.
Immortal....

It's faith that is easy and not believing that would be impossible. It's charity that is easy and not loving that would be impossible. But it's hoping that is difficult.

The little hope moves forward between her two older sisters and one scarcely notices her....

In his translator's preface, David Schindler explains that the Portal is not just a poem but in fact a play. The "portal" refers to the entrance of a medieval cathedral, above whose doors might be depicted a Christian mystery. The cathedral portal was also the place where mystery plays were typically enacted. 

If we keep in mind that the Portal is a play, we are better able to appreciate the conversational quality of the writing. Madame Gervaise, God's "mouthpiece" in the poem, address her monologue to the young Joan of Arc, who remains silent throughout. She speaks in short phrases, pausing after each one as if to make sure that "Jeanette" has understood it.

The presence of Joan of Arc can be presumed from Charles Peguy's earlier work The Mystery of the Charity of Joan of Arc.

David Schindler also observes that Charles Peguy approaches the Christian mystery by way of the experience of it in life, a theme that Hans Urs von Balthasar explores in greater detail using the term enracinement, to articulate a rootedness of Christianity in history and time (cf The Glory of the Lord vol III pp.465 ff):

His language is filled with images drawn from the basic experiences of life, rather than sophisticated argumentation aimed at an elite few. There is no trace of condescension in his tone: God does not speak from the sublime heights of heaven, looking down on the world from an infinite distance. Rather, having assumed everything human, he speaks from within the world; he speaks, as it were, as "one of us".

An endnote to the penultimate extract cited above makes the suggestion that we might see the inspiration for the image of the "little girl hope" in Charles Peguy's own daughter, who would have been nine years old at the time of the writing of the Portal. This would perfectly exemplify the author's approach.

Pope Francis' words for the Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers

The following are the concluding paragraphs of  Pope Francis' homily at the Mass to celebrate the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers. The homily was read by Archbishop Rino Fisichella. At the end of Mass, Pope Francis made an unexpected appearance to greet the congregation gathered in St Peter's Square, in a wheel chair and receiving oxygen via a nasal cannula.

Sisters and brothers, we read these texts as we celebrate the Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers. Illness is certainly one of the harshest and most difficult of life’s trials, when we experience in our own flesh our common human frailty. It can make us feel like the people in exile, or like the woman in the Gospel: deprived of hope for the future. Yet that is not the case. Even in these times, God does not leave us alone, and if we surrender our lives to him, precisely when our strength fails, we will be able to experience the consolation of his presence. By becoming man, he wanted to share our weakness in everything (cf. Phil 2:6-8). He knows what it is to suffer (cf. Is 53:3).  Therefore, we can turn to him and entrust our pain to him, certain that we will encounter compassion, closeness and tenderness.

But not only that. In his faithful love, the Lord invites us in turn to become “angels” for one another, messengers of his presence, to the point where the sickbed can become a “holy place” of salvation and redemption, both for the sick and for those who care for them.

Dear doctors, nurses and health care workers, in caring for your patients, especially the most vulnerable among them, the Lord constantly affords you an opportunity to renew your lives through gratitude, mercy, and hope (cf. Spes Non Confundit, 11). He calls you to realize with humility that nothing in life is to be taken for granted and that everything is a gift from God; to enrich your lives with the sense of humanity we experience when, beyond appearances, only the things that matter remain: the small and great signs of love. Allow the presence of the sick to enter your lives as a gift, to heal your hearts, to purify them of all that is not charity, and to warm them with the ardent and gentle fire of compassion.

I have much in common with you at this time of my life, dear brothers and sisters who are sick: the experience of illness, of weakness, of having to depend on others in so many things, and of needing their support. This is not always easy, but it is a school in which we learn each day to love and to let ourselves be loved, without being demanding or pushing back, without regrets and without despair, but rather with gratitude to God and to our brothers and sisters for the kindness we receive, looking towards the future with acceptance and trust. The hospital room and the sickbed can also be places where we hear the voice of the Lord speak to us: “Behold, I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is 43:19). In this way, we renew and strengthen our faith.

Benedict XVI — who gave us a beautiful testimony of serenity in the time of his illness — wrote that, “the true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering” and that “a society unable to accept its suffering members... is a cruel and inhuman society” (Spe Salvi, 38). It is true: facing suffering together makes us more human, and the ability to share the pain of others is an important step forward in any journey of holiness.

Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers

 The days 5th-6th April 2025 are being marked by the celebration of the Jubilee for the Sick and Health Care Workers. One feature of these days is an evening conference dedicated to considering how palliative care can bring hope to patients who are terminally ill and to their families, hosted by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross: Hospice=Hope. This report at the Jubilee 2025 website includes an account of a wide range of events that will be taking place across Rome during the Jubilee addressing such issues as the encouragement of blood donation, promoting awareness of issues around addiction and including moments of prayer and Eucharistic adoration: 20 000 people flock to Rome for Jubilee of the Sick and the World of Healthcare.

To reflect on this Jubilee we can take two motifs, one from Pope St John Paul II speaking to the sick in Lourdes in 1983, and the second from the opening words of Pope Francis' message for the World Day of the Sick in 2023:

Before all suffering, those in good health have a first duty: that of respect, sometimes even of silence.... Neither fair, nor unfair, suffering remains, despite partial explanations, difficult to understand and difficult to accept, even for those who have faith.

Illness is part of our human condition. Yet, if illness is experienced in isolation and abandonment, unaccompanied by care and compassion, it can become inhumane.

 When we look at the experience of illness in the life of Blessed Chiara Badano (known in the Focolare by the name "Luce", light), we can see something of both of these motifs. What we can also see is that accompaniment works in two directions: not only did Chiara's parents accompany Chiara in her illness but, in a very real sense, Chiara accompanied them during that time. It was an experience that they lived together. The two most remarkable aspects of Chiara's last weeks of life were, firstly, the extent to which, though unable to leave her bed, she kept in touch with friends from the Focolare movement; and, secondly, her refusal of morphine so that she could remain lucid and offer her suffering to Jesus, as she had no more than that to offer. Chiara exemplifies the three "small lights" - knowledge of the situation, acceptance and oblation - that Pope St John Paul II speaks of during his address to the sick in Lourdes. A full account of Chiara's life can be found here: Chiara Luce Badano - a radiant life. My own earlier posts about Chiara can be found here: Chiara Luce Badano.

Few of us will live the charism of an ecclesial movement with the depth and to the extent that Chiara Badano was able to do. The way in which she lived the time of her illness manifests a formation in that charism that, when her illness occurred, meant that she was able to live it to a heroic extent. 

Professor Jerome Lejeune provides us with a testimony of life of a doctor whose approach to his patients (and their parents) was one of profound respect. His daughter gives an account of the experience typical of families that sought his care when a new born had been diagnosed with Downs Syndrome, with the observation that it was a story they had heard countless times (Clara Lejeune, Life is a Blessing, p.35):

.. we went off to see this famous professor in a big hospital in Paris. It was both intimidating and reassuring. At the same time we thought to ourselves that it was no use. After all, the child's life was ruined.

The professor greeted us with a smile. He was courteous, friendly, but respectful. He turned to the baby, asked his name, and said to him, "Little Pierre, will you come with me?". He took him in his arms, asked the mother to put on a hospital gown, and offered her a seat. She sat down; he put little Pierre in her arms, sat down across from her and the father, and with a stethoscope examined the  child on his mother's lap. For us these simple gestures were like a revelation. It wasn't a patient this doctor was examining; it was our child.

Then he explained everything. What this illness is, what the future will be for the child and for us. He reassured us, responded to all our questions and fears.

Before leaving us he said to us, "If you wish, for your next appointment bring his older sister along. They, too, have the right to know and to understand." We left with our baby, all of us much calmer. He helped us to discover our love as parents.

In the Bull of Indiction (n.11) for the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis identified the sick as being among those to whom a particular sign of hope should be shown in the Jubilee year:

 Signs of hope should also be shown to the sick, at home or in hospital. Their sufferings can be allayed by the closeness and affection of those who visit them. Works of mercy are also works of hope that give rise to immense gratitude. Gratitude should likewise be shown to all those healthcare workers who, often in precarious conditions, carry out their mission with constant care and concern for the sick and for those who are most vulnerable.

Inclusive attention should also be given to all those in particularly difficult situations, who experience their own weaknesses and limitations, especially those affected by illnesses or disabilities that severely restrict their personal independence and freedom. Care given to them is a hymn to human dignity, a song of hope that calls for the choral participation of society as a whole.

Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy: The Sacrament of Penance

The days 28th - 30th March 2025 are being marked as a Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy. A news report ahead of this event can be found at Vatican News: Jubilee of Missionaries of Mercy bringing 500 priests worldwide. The event coincides with the 2025 celebration of "24 hours for the Lord".

For several years now the Friday/Saturday immediately before the fourth Sunday in Lent has been marked by a celebration of "24 Hours for the Lord", a particular time of prayer and recourse to the Sacrament of Penance. It is intended that the celebration take place at all levels in the Church, including at parish level. An introduction to the theme of the celebration for the Jubilee Year is here.

The purpose of the event is to put the sacrament of reconciliation back at the center of the pastoral life of the Church, and consequently, of our communities, parishes, and all ecclesial realities. This is the centre of the Gospel message: the Mercy of God, which gives us the certainty that before the Lord no one will find a judge, but rather will find a father who welcomes him, consoles him and also shows him the way to renewal.

I have a preference for referring to the sacrament as the Sacrament of Penance because that is the title used of the sacrament in the Code of Canon Law (cc. 959-997). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (nn.1423 - 1424), however, explains several different names for the sacrament. I have added the bold below to highlight each of them:

1423 It is called the sacrament of conversion because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father from whom one has strayed by sin.
It is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction.

1424 It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession" - acknowledgment and praise - of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man.
It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent "pardon and peace."
It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God." He who lives by God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother."

One of the more remarkable books about the sacrament is Adrienne von Speyr's book entitled Confession. The German original dates from 1960, with the Ignatius Press English translation dating from 1985. The book has a preface by Adrienne's close collaborator Hans Urs von Balthasar. (The site Balthasar and Speyr gives more information about the lives and work of these two). Adrienne's book ranges from a presentation of confession in its Christological and ecclesial dimensions (two early chapters are entitled "Confession in the life of the Lord" and "The Confession on the Cross") to very practical insights into the experience that we should have of  the sacrament (in chapters entitled "Types of Confession" and "The Act of Confession", which respectively look at confession in the context of different states and experiences of life and at the different specific steps taken in approaching and receiving the sacrament). It is striking that one can dip into this book, written essentially before Vatican II, and yet recognise in it much that is reflected in the passage from the Catechism quoted above, even though the book itself inescapably depends on the term "confession" used of the sacrament.

The attitude out of which the Son speaks his "I am thirsty" and "My God, why have you forsaken me?" on the Cross is not only an expression of his unique suffering; it is simultaneously the essence of every correct confessional attitude. The penitent who receives the sacrament of the fruit of the Cross, who stands naked and exposed before the Father, must thirst for absolution and for the nearness of God that he has lost through sin. If he confesses openly and with humility, God will grant him this thirst and this yearning to be stilled - not as something the penitent imagines or presses out of himself, as it were, but as an objective gift of grace.... Only when he receives absolution does sin become an objective quantity for him, something that no longer clings to his person, yet something from which he still must separate himself and take leave of in a highly conscious act.... The sinner's burning, thirsting desire for absolution should generate something enduring, namely, that perpetual search for God that characterises love here below, a searching which is the discipleship of the suffering and "confessing" Son on the Cross who thirsts more and more until finally "it is finished".

The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology

 The Jubilee 2025 coincides with the marking by the world of science of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The year 2025 has been chosen as it marks the centenary of the publication by Werner Heisenberg in 1925 of his work on matrix mechanics. Erwin Schrodinger followed with his work on wave mechanics in 1926. Whilst artificial intelligence (AI) has been gaining attention in the media and in public awareness, perhaps through publicity surrounding some of its practical applications, it is the technological applications of quantum phenomena that are more leading edge. The development of computers based on quantum states of atoms is an objective of this research, with the prospects of significant increases in computing capacity as a result. Consequently, the Year has both a historic glance to the past and a contemporary look to the future.

A striking aspect of Heisenberg's work is that it was premised on our not being able to observe, in the ordinary sense of the word, the exact properties of a particle (such as an electron in an atom). He instead developed a mathematical formalism that was able to successfully account for the behaviour of atoms whilst keeping a certain distance from wishing to exactly assert the properties of the electrons giving rise to this behaviour. Schrodinger's approach was to represent particles seen in their essentially classical way by a waveform that obeyed equations analagous to such principles as conservation of energy. The waveform came to be interpreted as a probability function, introducing a lack of precision in the understanding of the idea of the position of particle, for example. Both Heisenberg's work and Schrodinger's work were eventually shown to give the same outcomes that accorded with experimental observations.

Before the advent of quantum physics it was possible to readily identify the idea of things existing as their existing in the form of specific materially perceivable objects, and a scientific description of those objects used a language that corresponded to our perception - space, time, velocity, acceleration and the like. With the advent of quantum physics it is no longer possible to so readily connect the existence of phenomena to the existence of materially perceivable objects (though, to borrow the idea of "complementarity", such connection can be achieved at scales larger than those at which quantum effects become significant). Likewise, the idea of a a readily identifiable causal link between one perceived event and another (through an interaction between one object and another) is lost to the outcomes of measurements related to probabilistic descriptions.

A Christian is prompted  to reflect on what it means for things to exist; and on what it means for one thing to cause another. In philosophical terms, they are prompted to reflect on the idea of being, the subject of the study of metaphysics in its strict sense. From a Christian point of view, a certain reconsideration of the doctrine of creation takes place in this context. Whilst on the one hand a Christian will recognise that the created world has some form of initial starting point - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen.1.1) - they will also recognise that the term "creation" also refers to a "bringing into being" which is sustained from that initial starting point and not isolated to it alone.

In this context it is worthwhile to re-read the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the creation of the world ( nn. 279-301).  The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarises this teaching, and the questions cited below are part of that summary.

54. How did God create the universe?

God created the universe freely with wisdom and love. The world is not the result of any necessity, nor of blind fate, nor of chance. God created “out of nothing” (ex nihilo) (2 Maccabees 7:28) a world which is ordered and good and which he infinitely transcends. God preserves his creation in being and sustains it, giving it the capacity to act and leading it toward its fulfillment through his Son and the Holy Spirit.

53. Why was the world created?

The world was created for the glory of God who wished to show forth and communicate his goodness, truth and beauty. The ultimate end of creation is that God, in Christ, might be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28) for his glory and for our happiness.

The answer to this  last question has a reflection in the conclusion of the Prayer for the Jubilee 2025:

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 for ever.

Jubilee 2025 and the Witness of Martyrs: "confessors of the life that knows no end"

 In the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year (n.20), Pope Francis reflects on how the sacrament of Baptism offers the gift of a new life that sheds a light on the reality of death. As we set out on the Lenten journey, with its baptismal character, it may be worthwhile to recall Pope Francis' words (my emphasis added):

The reality of death, as a painful separation from those dearest to us, cannot be mitigated by empty rhetoric. The Jubilee, however, offers us the opportunity to appreciate anew, and with immense gratitude, the gift of the new life that we have received in Baptism, a life capable of transfiguring death’s drama. It is worth reflecting, in the context of the Jubilee, on how that mystery has been understood from the earliest centuries of the Church’s life. An example would be the tradition of building baptismal fonts in the shape of an octagon, as seen in many ancient baptisteries, like that of Saint John Lateran in Rome. This was intended to symbolize that Baptism is the dawn of the “eighth day”, the day of the resurrection, a day that transcends the normal, weekly passage of time, opening it to the dimension of eternity and to life everlasting: the goal to which we tend on our earthly pilgrimage (cf. Rom 6:22).

The most convincing testimony to this hope is provided by the martyrs. Steadfast in their faith in the risen Christ, they renounced life itself here below, rather than betray their Lord. Martyrs, as confessors of the life that knows no end, are present and numerous in every age, and perhaps even more so in our own day. We need to treasure their testimony, in order to confirm our hope and allow it to bear good fruit.

In England and Wales there is a very specific experience of martyrdom during the reformation period in the 16th and 17th centuries. The lives of forty martyrs from England and Wales who were canonised on 25th October 1970 shows the range of this experience: the group included lay men and women, secular and religious priests and members of religious orders. In his homily on that occasion Pope St Paul VI has a paragraph that reflects Pope Francis' characterisation of martyrs as "confessors of the life that knows no end":

Much is spoken and written about the mysterious being that is man: on the resources of his intelligence, capable of penetrating the secrets of the world and of subjecting material things to use them for his ends; on the greatness of the human spirit that shows itself in the wonderful works of science and of art; on his nobility and his weakness; on his triumphs and his misfortunes. But that which characterises man, that which is the inmost in his being and in his personality, is the capacity to love, to love even to the end, to give himself with that love that is stronger than death and that continues in eternity.

 Pope St Paul VI went on to say:

The high tragedy in the lives of these martyrs was that their honest and genuine loyalty [to their country] came into conflict with their fidelity to God and with the dictates of their conscience illumined by the Catholic faith. Two truths especially were involved: the Holy Eucharist and the inalienable prerogatives of the Successor of Peter who, by God's will, is the universal shepherd of Christ's Church.

At the end of his homily, the Holy Father expressed a hope for the overcoming of the separation of the Anglican Church from the Catholic Church  with a regard for the "patrimony of piety and usage proper to the Anglican Church" that today seems prophetic of the Personal Ordinariates established under the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. 

And in his Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint (n.84), Pope St John Paul II makes an observation that suggests an ecumenical import for every martyrdom and which complements the hope expressed by his predecessor:

The fact that one can die for the faith shows that other demands of the faith can also be met. I have already remarked, and with deep joy, how an imperfect but real communion is preserved and is growing at many levels of ecclesial life. I now add that this communion is already perfect in what we all consider the highest point of the life of grace, martyria unto death, the truest communion possible with Christ who shed his Blood, and by that sacrifice brings near those who once were far off (cf. Eph 2:13)

Jubilee of the World of Volunteering

On Sunday 16 May 1999, Pope St John Paul II preached at a celebration of Mass to mark the World Meeting "Reconciliation in Charity". 

 I am very pleased today to welcome you, dear brothers and sisters, who have come in such large numbers for the Day of Charity organized by the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum”. I am very happy to celebrate the Eucharist with you and for you, remembering all the “witnesses of charity” who in every part of the world dedicate themselves to eliminating the injustice and poverty which unfortunately still exist in so many obvious and hidden forms. I am thinking here of the countless faces of volunteer service, of those whose work is inspired by the Gospel: religious institutes and associations of Christian charity, organizations for human development and missionary service, groups involved in the civil sphere, and organizations for social, educational and cultural work. Your activities embrace every area of human life and your actions reach countless people in trouble. I express my esteem and gratitude to each of you....

How could we fail to emphasize [the] divine source of service to our brothers and sisters? Yes, love of neighbour conforms to Christ's mandate and example only if it is joined to the love of God. Jesus who gives his life for sinners is the living sign of God's goodness; at the same time, through their generous self-giving Christians enable the brothers and sisters they meet to experience the merciful and provident love of the heavenly Father. 

 The world of volunteering has many different expressions. There can be very informal occasions for volunteering (eg the person who looks out for the needs of their neighbour and might occasionally shop for them); there are those situations where people volunteer to support a one-off kind of event (eg the Olympic Games or a World Youth Day); there are situations where an individual regularly spends time supporting a small scale initiative (eg helping on a weekly soup run in an inner city). There are also situations where an individual regularly commits a period of time within a more organisational context (eg volunteering within a formally established charity or visiting in a hospital or prison). And, in some instances, there is a kind of "professionalised" volunteering (eg by way of a placement or paid employment with a charity or non-governmental organisation). 

Whilst some will involve themselves in these activities from the kind of Christian inspiration described by Pope St John Paul II, many will do so without any specifically religious intention, and this is a feature to be borne in mind when we reflect on the world of volunteering. The United Nations, for example, marks an International Day of Charity on 5th September each year, the date chosen because it is the anniversary of the death of Mother Theresa.

The invitation to the Jubilee of the World of Volunteering, to be marked 8th-9th March 2025, reflects this variety:

Volunteers from all associations, members of non-profit organizations, NGO workers and social workers are especially invited to this jubilee event.

A Vatican News report ahead of the event can be read here: 25 000 pilgrims to gather in Rome for Jubilee of Volunteers.

There is an interesting dimension to some of these volunteering opportunities. In volunteering in a hospital, for example, or in port chaplaincy and ship visiting, the volunteer brings their religious inspiration (or at least a level of commitment to human dignity) into encounter with a professional context. In their activity, the volunteer needs to achieve a competence in the practices of the relevant professional context alongside their goodwill as a volunteer. 

A hospital volunteer needs to respect the processes of a hospital ward or department (infection prevention and control, for example), develop the skills to meet with patients experiencing different medical conditions and understand how their role exists in relation to the roles of clinical staff. A ship visitor needs to respect the security and safety requirements specific to docks and ships, and to have an understanding of the circumstances of seafarers who may spend many months of the year away from home but only a few hours in each port before sailing again. Prison visiting or industrial chaplaincy equally need a volunteer to engage with a specific professional competence.

One paragraph of the Jubilee Prayer can speak particularly to the World of Volunteering:

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 power of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.