A Reflection on the Jubilee Year Prayer

 

A Reflection on the Jubilee Year Prayer

by Piet Albano

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled

in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

reawaken in us the blessed hope

for the coming of your Kingdom

Missionary heart 

Jesus once said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). As God’s People, we are entrusted to proclaim the Gospel of hope to those who do not know or welcome it, to the poor, and those in despair. 

When was the last time we spoke openly of Jesus’ Gospel to others?

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…”(Jn 15:16). This Jubilee Year is a time to renew that missionary heart that God gave us.

May your grace transform us

into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos

in the sure expectation

of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

Missionary disciples 

The mission entrusted to us is not our own. It is the mission of Christ shared with us. Didn’t He say to His first disciples, “Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19)? Or “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29)?

How faithful and hopeful are we in following Jesus? 100%? 50-50?

This Jubilee Year is a time to remember that “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We must be Christ’s missionary disciples through and through.

May the grace of the Jubilee

reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,

a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread

the joy and peace of our Redeemer

throughout the earth.

Help build up your Kingdom on earth

As Christians, we often pray “Thy Kingdom come”.  It is a Kingdom like no other where the King seeks and saves the lost (Lk 19:10).

In what concrete ways have we mirrored our King in reaching out to our marginalized brothers and sisters? In caring for the earth?

Christ the King proclaims, “Behold, I make all things new,” (Rev 21:5). The Jubilee Year is an opportune time to reconcile with others and make His Kingdom real in the lives of the people around us. 

To you our God, eternally blessed,

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen.

Glory and praise

Everything in this Jubilee Year is centered on God. As St Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31). 

Mary serves as the perfect example of a life offered for God’s glory. She is our intercessor as pilgrims of hope. As Pope Francis tells us in the Bull of Induction of the Ordinary Jubilee Year, “Amid the tempests of this life, the Mother of God comes to our aid, sustains us and encourages us to persevere in hope and trust.” (Spes non confundit). This Jubilee Year let’s learn from Mary whose soul magnified the Lord (Lk 1:46-56).