Bishop William F. Medley presides at the 11 a.m. Dec. 29, 2024 Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral, during which he opened the Jubilee of Hope in the Diocese of Owensboro. RACHEL HALL | WKC
A Word From Bishop Medley: Reasons for our hope
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
There is an ancient tradition in the Catholic Church of observing some years as Holy Years, also known as Jubilees. Historically these have been designated in recent centuries at least every 25 years, marking the quarters of centuries. St. Peter’s Basilica and the other major basilicas of Rome each have a special door opened ceremonially only for the Holy Year. Going back centuries, a Holy Year was a time to make a pilgrimage to Rome and the designated doors were places of symbolic passage to consummate the pilgrimage and receive the special indulgences attached to the journey and prayer.
2025 is a Holy Year. It formally began on Christmas Eve 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. The year will extend to January 6, 2026; the Feast of the Epiphany. Our local participation in the Holy Year commenced on the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph when I presided at the Mass at St. Stephen Cathedral this past December 29.
The Holy Father designated a theme for the Holy Year and that theme is Hope. Hope is a common theme in the bible and Pope Francis specifically referenced a passage from Romans 5:5: “Hope does not put us to shame.” Other translations may say, “Hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”
Pope Francis, in the proclamation of the Holy Year, wrote, “In the course of the year every effort should be made to enable the People of God to participate fully in its proclamation of hope in God’s grace and in the signs that attest to their efficacy.”
“Everyone knows what it is to hope,” wrote the pope. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future will bring.”
In our world marked by war and violence, racism and contempt for others, the theme of hope is a timely one for all believers. We hear many people say, and perhaps we say ourselves, that we experience divisions in our society, and even in our families, like never before. Yet, hope is a virtue and must be pursued – just as the virtues of faith and charity must be pursued. Hope is a gift from God, but gifts must be accepted and then utilized and shared.
Pope Francis asks how we can spread hope and cultivate signs of hope. Just last month he called for the nations of the world to eliminate the death penalty, that prisoners might look to the future with hope and renewed confidence. Further he urged that hope be offered to the sick, to the young and to the elderly, to migrants and to the poor.
The pope insists that Christian hope for each human person, rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection, points to our final destiny, eternal happiness with God in heaven.
Anyone can find abundant reasons not to abandon hope. This Holy Year gives us all a reason and opportunity to look again, to consider again, what God has promised and to embrace the hope for us in this life, but even more so in eternal life.
May God bless you all,
Most Reverend William F. Medley
Diocese of Owensboro
Originally printed in the January 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
