“An angel of the Lord, bathed in light, illumines the night and brings glad tidings to the shepherds: ‘I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’ (Lk 2:10-11). Heaven breaks forth upon earth amid the wonder of the poor and the singing of angels. God has become one of us to make us like himself; he has come down to us to lift us up and restore us to the embrace of the Father.

Sisters and brothers, this is our hope. God is Emmanuel, God-with-us. The infinitely great has made himself tiny; divine light has shone amid the darkness of our world; the glory of heaven has appeared on earth. And how? As a little child. If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever. Hope does not disappoint!

Brothers and sisters, with the opening of the Holy Door we have inaugurated a new Jubilee, and each of us can enter into the mystery of this extraordinary event. Tonight, the door of hope has opened wide to the world. Tonight, God speaks to each of us and says: there is hope also for you! There is hope for each of us. And do not forget, sisters and brothers, that God forgives everything, God always forgives. Do not forget this, which is a way of understanding hope in the Lord.”

Pope Francis’ homily from Christmas Eve Midnight Mass

On this past Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, the Feast of the Holy Family, I had the privilege to celebrate the Opening Mass for our Diocese’s participation in the Jubilee Year of 2025. At that Mass, I began my homily by quoting the first three paragraphs of Pope Francis’ homily from Christmas Eve Midnight Mass, before which he opened the Holy Door and led the whole Church into this great Jubilee of Hope. Below is an adapted version of the homily I offered at our own Opening Mass in which I shared a reflection on the opportunities we have to participate in the Jubilee Year and how that participation can be a Blessing for us, our loved ones, and especially our families.

I thought about reading the Holy Father’s whole Homily (in place of my own homily) because it is a beautiful introduction and invitation to participate in this Jubilee Year as true pilgrims of Hope, but I think it would be even better for as many as possible to find the text of the homily and read it slowly and prayerfully. It can be found here.

As I reflected and prayed on this beautiful and historic moment for all of us today at this Opening Mass, three words (ideas or opportunities) kept returning to my mind and heart in prayer. The three words I would like to offer for our reflection are “Indulgence,” “Pilgrimage,” and “Family.”

The first two words, “Indulgence” and “Pilgrimage,” could be called “Jubilee Words” – they are central themes in the Church’s understanding of the meaning and opportunity of a Jubilee Year. If you are unfamiliar with the meaning and purpose of an “Indulgence,” you are not alone! If you want to learn more about the Jubilee Indulgence and how to “gain” a Jubilee Indulgence, it’s easy, just Google it! You can go to the Vatican’s Jubilee website.

You can also go to our own Diocese of Paterson’s website.

You can also read the DECREE ON THE GRANTING OF THE INDULGENCE DURING THE ORDINARY JUBILEE YEAR 2025.

In the second paragraph of that decree, we read the following:

“… the Holy Father declares that the gift of the Indulgence “is a way of discovering the unlimited nature of God’s mercy. Not by chance, for the ancients, the terms ‘mercy’ and ‘indulgence’ were interchangeable, as expressions of the fullness of God’s forgiveness, which knows no bounds” (Spes non confundit, 23). The Indulgence, therefore, is a Jubilee grace.”

An Indulgence is something we can obtain for ourselves, but is also something we can obtain for others: An act of Love! This is why I want to emphasize the Jubilee Indulgence, because, if we seek it, we will grow in holiness. It will help us, and we can only imagine how it may help others – Can you imagine someone you love going from Purgatory to Heaven because you went to confession, visited a Holy Place, and said some prayers? “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, … what God has prepared for those who love him…” 1 Cor. 2:9

Sometimes, we can only imagine what God can do – how can we do that as “Pilgrims of Hope” in this Jubilee Year? We can gain the indulgence many times, as often as once a day, for ourselves and for others.

Very closely connected to the gaining of a Jubilee Indulgence is the opportunity to participate in a Jubilee Pilgrimage. We hope that many will be able to make the Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome, but you can also make a Jubilee Pilgrimage or visit a Holy Place (to gain the Indulgence) right here in our Diocese by going on pilgrimage or visiting one of the five Diocesan Jubilee Holy Sites:

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson – East
St. James the Greater, Montague – North
Shrine of St. Joseph, Stirling – South
St. Luke, Long Valley – West
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Wharton – Center

Pilgrimages remind us that, as Christian disciples, we are PILGRIMS, and in this Jubilee Year, we want to be Pilgrims of Hope. Similar to and connected with an Indulgence, a pilgrimage can be an act of Love and help us grow in Holiness. A pilgrimage can also help us to re-discover and renew our Faith, giving us a special opportunity for prayer and reflection. Have you ever wondered why “The Camino” (to Santiago de Compostela in Spain) is so popular? Many people, at different times, stages, and circumstances in their lives, are “searching.” The experience of a prayerful pilgrimage can help us to “find” what we are searching or looking for. In the Jubilee Year, the “Camino” comes to us!

So, Indulgence and Pilgrimage can help us to participate fully in the Jubilee of Hope as Pilgrims of Hope – what about family? Why Family? Do you think it a coincidence that the Holy Father asked all dioceses of the world to open the Jubilee Year with a Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family? I don’t believe that it is a coincidence. I believe it is a profound blessing and an invitation to remember who and what is most important in our lives and in our world.

Thinking about the Opening Mass being celebrated on the Feast of the Holy Family leads me to request a special intention here in our Diocese during this Jubilee Year: Let us pray for a greater respect of the Vocation of Marriage and Family Life and for healing in and the Sanctification of all families. We are all part of God’s family and the human family. We live in a society and culture that is attempting to redefine the meaning of marriage and family. St. Pope John Paul II said: As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.

Gaining an Indulgence and going on a Pilgrimage can be Acts of Love that can be part of our participation in the Jubilee Year. For so many of us, it is at home and within our family that we learn to Love as Jesus teaches and calls us to Love. Let us pray that this Jubilee will be a great Blessing for each one of us, for our diocese, for the whole Church, and the whole world and, on this Feast of the Holy Family, let us pray that our participation in the Jubilee Year can be a Blessing for our Family and all Families.