Hope transforms the will and heart to persevere towards what is good.
At the start of the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis reflected on this topic in Spes Non Confudit: “Hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.” For the Christian, hope rests in ultimate fulfillment and happiness through Christ and His promise of Eternal Life.
However, persevering to this end can often feel like sailing across an ocean, with the shore out of sight and the distance traveled seeming immeasurable. This year, that experience has felt especially relatable, perhaps because of impatience in reaching the end or seeing things play out differently than imagined.
Hope is a virtue that can be challenging to live authentically because of the tension between emotion and will. It is easy to want to be hopeful, but allowing that truth to transform one’s actions is another story. For others, it may be the opposite: living a faithful Christian life while still doubting whether it will be worth it.
During this Jubilee, Christians are reminded that they are pilgrims of hope. This is not merely a slogan but a profound calling. Each person is a pilgrim on the same journey toward Eternal Happiness, called to be a joyful witness so that others might join along the way.
Still, the idea of living with hope can feel abstract: a call to live in the joy of what is to come, without yet having attained it. It almost seems unrealistic, yet Pope Francis affirms, “Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love.”
Pope Benedict XVI wrote that “hope must be more than informative, but performative—that is, put into action.” In this light, aligning emotions and will in a hopeful spirit begins through concrete action. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, performative hope – shown through action – becomes a natural habit.
What might this look like in everyday life? As human beings, failure is inevitable when working toward any end. Yet human failure does not equate to the failure of hope. What appears to be discouragement may, in truth, be Divine Providence unfolding. Just as the covenants of the Old Testament reveal how humanity’s failings led to Redemption, failure can have supernatural merit when placed in God’s hands. In this way, signs of hope can be discovered in the ordinary moments of daily life. This virtue grows when one learns to look for hope amid darkness, where Christ makes Himself most present. He calls His followers to lean on Him even more deeply in such times.
Self-giving is another profound witness to hope, for it proves that suffering and evil can never overcome the love of Christ. Each day offers an opportunity to serve others — to become, in a small but powerful way, a living sign of Christ’s hope to the world.
The Jubilee of Hope invites Christians to renew and intentionally live this virtue, especially when the world seems to lose sight of its meaning. Despite the presence of war, violence, and moral confusion, the great resurgence of faith within the Church in the modern age is a testimony that the world desires the peace that comes with Christ’s promise.
The year 2025 has been one of abundance and unexpected events. Amid everything that unfolds, God’s blessings continue to find their way into daily life. As the Jubilee comes to an end, may its hope endure — deep within hearts and alive in daily life.
Thought exercise & prompts for reflection:
What have been your hopes for this year?
What kind of “pilgrim of hope” have you been living as?
How can my faith compel me to bring hope to others?