Georgia Bulletin

The Newspaper of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta

Pilgrims of Hope in the Jubilee Year

By BISHOP BERNARD E. SHLESINGER III  | Published January 24, 2025  | En Español

Two days after opening the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to inaugurate the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis opened a second Holy Door at the Rebibbia New Complex Prison in Rome. The Holy Father offered Mass for those who are incarcerated. He shared with them the message that there is a hope which never disappoints for anyone who experiences imprisonment and confinement. This hope is rooted in the person of Jesus who brings life where there is death, interior freedom where there is an experience of imprisonment and peace where there is anxiety relative to the future. 

Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III

Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III

The Acts of the Apostles reports that St. Paul was imprisoned many times. St. Peter himself was imprisoned at least three times and was led out of prison twice by an angel. This first Vicar of Christ had to learn how to catch men and women by being led by the hand of another. In hope, he did not let his weakness as a man imprison him. Hoping in Christ, he was able to allow someone else to dress him and lead him where he would not want to go. Pope Francis, who despite being confined at times to a wheelchair, preaches this example of hope as St. Peter’s successor. 

When I feel imprisoned with my helplessness and impotence to resolve issues that warrant my attention, I sometimes think the financial aid, or the availability of resources is most essential when resolving problems. In thinking this way, I discover that my hope gets shifted from Christ and my prayer suffers. This was not the case in the early church. Money and resources were not its concern. The disciples of Jesus were sent out without money or resources. They passed through towns where sometimes they were not welcome and experienced rejection. They were simply to preach about the nearness of the Kingdom of God and rejoice that their names were written in heaven rather than that demons were subject to them. They were to be led in hope rather than by reason alone. 

In the Jubilee Year, we are not invited to look backward and carry forward perpetual regrets on our pilgrimage. When we take a pilgrimage to a physical place like Rome, we focus on how we are to get there and what awaits us at our destination. We may have a pilgrim guide or a guidebook along with us. Because our pilgrimage journey is a matter of the heart and not just the head, we can take one of the Gospels and meditate on the Word of God each day or on the daily readings from the missal as our guidebook. We can take Mary as our pilgrim guide and ponder with her the mysteries or the rosary, a compendium of the Gospel, which will lead us to a more virtuous and charitable way of living. 

It was once said, “All roads lead to Rome.” People from all over the world will go there this year on pilgrimage, but not all of us will be so fortunate to make that pilgrimage. In the book of Revelation the following verse can serve as an invitation for all pilgrims: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” 

Let us open wide the doors to Christ, so that nothing will ever confine or deter us on our own pilgrimage of hope.