2025 is a Year of Jubilee! The word ‘Jubilee’ comes from the Hebrew word for a ram’s horn, which was blown to announce the start of a Jubilee Year in the Bible.
Day 1 – Head
On the first day of our prayer we will be reflecting on The Word of God to help us to understand our theme.
We begin our prayer this morning with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
In the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), the Jubilee Year was a time of renewal and celebration. Debts were cancelled, people could rest, and because crops weren’t planted even the land was able to rest. It was also a time of freedom: prisoners and slaves were freed, and land was given to those who didn’t have any. It was known as the year of the Lord’s favour
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke
R/ Glory to You O Lord.
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
The Gospel of the Lord
R/ Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus makes it clear that his mission is to bring the justice and freedom of the Jubilee. Inspired by his example, we can share in his mission to create a world of justice, peace and love.
Now we celebrate a Jubilee every 25 years. It’s still a very special, holy year of forgiveness and mercy, a time to reset, to renew our relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation.
Pope Francis has called this Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. It is an invitation to renew our hope, a hope which comes from knowing that God loves each one of us, whoever we are.
Take a moment of quiet reflection to consider how you can be a Pilgrim of Hope in this Jubilee Year.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Day 2 – Heart
On the second day of the week we focus on our hearts. How can the scripture that we looked at previously impact our lives, and the lives of others? What themes can we draw from the scripture?
We begin our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
This is the official Jubilee Icon for the 2025 Year of Jubilee. An icon is a visual aid for reflection and discernment, inspiring prayer and devotion. This icon is a depiction of the story in the Gospel we heard earlier this week.
It was painted by Mulugeta Araya who is an artist and an engineer who studied at St Mary’s College, Wukro in Ethiopia, which is supported by CAFOD.
Take some time, to reflect on this image, here are some questions to help
- What do you notice?
- What draws you in?
- Does the icon help you to see the story of the Gospel in a different way?
If it helps, feel free to re-read the Gospel to remind you of the scripture that accompanies this icon.
Closing prayer
The responses are in bold
Christ Jesus, on whom the Spirit rests,
R/ Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Christ Jesus, bringer of Good News,
R/ Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Christ Jesus, liberator of captives and all who are oppressed,
R/ Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Christ Jesus, restorer of sight,
R/ Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Christ Jesus, proclaimer of the year of the Lord’s favour,
R/ Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
Christ Jesus, in whom the Scripture was fulfilled,
R/ Guide us on our journey as pilgrims of hope.
R/ Lead us all to be signs of your hope in our world
Amen
We end our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Day 3 – Hands
On the final day of the week we try to put into action the things we have learnt and reflected on previously in the week, hence the hands link!
We begin our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Pilgrims of Hope
Pope Francis has declared that the theme for this Jubilee Year will be “pilgrims of hope”. Let’s think a little bit more about what this means.
The gift of hope is greatly needed in our world, where we are daily faced with the challenges of poverty, injustice, violence and the destruction of the environment. Hope is transformative. It widens our vision and fills our hearts, inspires our imagination and creativity, strengthens our resolve and helps us to live differently.
But what does it mean to be a pilgrim? The difference between a pilgrim and a traveller is openness to God. A pilgrim seeks God not just in their ultimate destination but in all that they encounter along the way.
So in this Jubilee Year, we are called to our own journey – a journey in which we become
“tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters who experience hardships of any kind.” (Spes non confundit, #10)
A Jubilee pledge
Having reflected on the biblical origins of Jubilee, Christ’s mission on earth, and about what it means for us today, let’s consider how we can be a pilgrim of hope in our homes, our communities and within the wider world in this Jubilee Year.
How will you be a pilgrim of hope?
How will you walk alongside people experiencing poverty?
How will you take care of the earth and each other?
We end with the Jubilee Prayer that is on the prayer cards you were given at the start of the week.
Jubilee Prayer
God our Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
awaken in us this Jubilee Year a missionary heart
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May the gift of your grace
transform us, Pilgrims of Hope,
into your missionary disciples,
blessed with the gifts and talents you give us.
Strengthen us to share our Saviour’s message
of love, joy, and peace
with all the people we meet this year,
so that we may help build up your Kingdom on earth.
To you our God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be glory and praise for ever and ever.
Amen.
If you have not yet given your second prayer card to someone, do so over the weekend. It could be a family member, a friend from outside school, or anyone in need of prayer.
We end our prayer with the Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
We think that being pilgrims of hope will bring peace to the world