Beloved Parishioners,

I feel I need to remind us again that we are still in the context of the Jubilee Year of Hope. A Jubilee Year is a sacred reminder that we are on a journey. We are not settlers; we are pilgrims. The Church calls this year the Jubilee Year of Hope because hope is the pilgrim’s lamp — the light that keeps us walking when the road is long and the night feels deep.

As pilgrims, we carry what truly matters and learn to travel light. This is the heart of discipleship.

Scripture is filled with pilgrim stories: Abraham leaving Ur, the Israelites stepping out of Egypt, Jesus moving from village to village “with no place to lay his head.” None of them moved because it was convenient; they moved because God’s promise was ahead of them. Pilgrimage is less about reaching the destination than about faithfulness in the next step — trusting God with the horizon while keeping our feet moving.

The world teaches the opposite: cling, collect, control. We cling to possessions — “I might need this someday.” We cling to positions — “I have earned my place.” We even cling to hurts — “If I let go, they might think they have won.” Pilgrims know that carrying too much slows the journey and tires the soul. Jesus reassures us: “Do not be afraid, little flock; it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). The kingdom is the pilgrim’s true inheritance — not the stockpile in our storerooms.

Yet no pilgrim walks empty-handed or alone. God provides food for the journey, strength for the climb, and healing when we falter — most powerfully through the sacraments. The Eucharist is our manna in the desert. At every Mass, the Lord places in our hands the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, strengthening us for the road ahead. In the sacrament of Reconciliation, He lightens our load, removing the weight of sin and restoring joy. Baptism sets our feet on the pilgrim path; Confirmation equips us with the Spirit’s courage; Anointing of the Sick renews hope when the road grows steep; Matrimony and Holy Orders shape our service so that our journey blesses others.

We all know the experience: packing two suitcases for a week’s trip but using only a fraction of what we brought, or moving house and finding boxes filled with things untouched for years. Spiritually, the same happens — our hearts become weighed down with what we think we must keep, rather than trusting God to give us what we truly need.

The Jubilee Year invites us to lighten our load. It is a year of release — forgiving debts, loosening grudges, opening our hands. There is peace in letting go of an old resentment, joy in giving away something we have kept for years and seeing it bless someone else. This is hope in action: believing that God’s tomorrow is better than our tight grip on today.

Living as pilgrims in this Year of Hope can take many forms. We can declutter the soul by naming the fears, grudges, or regrets we no longer want to carry. We can practice generosity by giving away something we love but do not need. We can welcome holy detours — like the busy parent who pauses to listen to a child’s story or the commuter who stops to help a stranger. We can observe Sabbath rest, trusting God enough to stop striving for one day each week. The pilgrim life is not about loss; it is about trust — the kind of trust that says, If I let go, God will hold me. In letting go, hope becomes lighter, freer, and more radiant. This Jubilee Year, may we walk light, with uncluttered hearts, lifted eyes, and steady steps toward the Kingdom.

Finally, in the coming weeks we would all be encouraged to make visible in our parish how we have practiced this jubilee year of hope.

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