Since the beginning of term I have referred a couple of times to this year of 2025 being a Jubilee year in the Church. Pope Francis has given the year the theme, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. The Jubilee Year officially began on 24 December, but as this date was during the Christmas holidays the official launch date for schools in this country is this week, Friday, 24 January.
On their recent Reflection Day I asked Year 11 students to give me their definition of the word ‘hope’. There were some very thoughtful responses such as these:
A feeling of uplift or a sense that the future is bright, even if the present moment is not.
Hope is focusing on a future positivity that requires periods of hardship and effort in order to reach.
Expressing happiness and optimism when thinking about the future.
Something that fills you with some confidence that things will be ok or something good will happen.
The feeling or anticipation of future happiness for yourself and / or others.
Trust and faith for good things in the future.
The Jubilee Year reminds us that true hope does not rely on chance, but instead on the providence of the God who loves us. Hope comes from putting our trust and faith in God that he will provide and that the future will be bright, for ourselves and for all those throughout our world to whom we ourselves are called to be bringers of hope.
“For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.” (Psalm 71:5)
