Receiving God’s Hope this Lent

Following the official launch of the Jubilee Year 2025, we shared an article called Pilgrims of Hope  where we explored themes from Spes Nos Confundit and how they would feature in our various Jubilee resources. With Lent only a few days away, let’s take a more personal approach to the Jubilee theme of hope.

Remembering Hope

I wonder what it is that personally brings you hope. For me, there are some obvious things like seeing the shoots of spring bulbs coming through and remembering that warmer days are surely on their way! Or receiving a message from a friend with good news about their cancer diagnosis, meaning we can plan ahead a little further than I thought.

Even when we notice these little moments of hope, we can still experience moments of hopelessness in the face of adversity. Increasingly, it seems that our technologically advanced and connected world is experiencing great disconnection, isolation, war, violence, crime and poverty on local and global scales. We can feel helpless to remedy these large-scale problems as we witness them on the news and on social media. Our hope for our world and ourselves can begin to wane.

It is in response to this that the Holy Father has given us the great theme of hope to guide us through this particular Jubilee Year. He says in Spes Non Confundit,

Entering Lent 2025 With Renewed Hope

A number of Christians over the years have said to me that they really don’t like Lent. I think for some, it was because they saw it as just more things to add to their ‘to do’ list – give something up, donate to a good cause, feel guilty about not praying enough?! Others perceived it as a sombre time, focussing on death, and they didn’t want to focus on death. While others experienced so much disappointment in their lives, they didn’t want failing at their Lenten observances to be another failure or disappointment to add to their list.

None of us wants to experience disappointment. So perhaps if you feel something like this about the upcoming Lenten season, maybe you could rethink Lent as a time to receive new hope from the Lord. St Paul tells us that,

What might that look like in practice?

A Time To Get Things In Order

Over the centuries, Jubilee Years have been an opportunity for individuals, families and wider societies to reorder their lives and refocus their worship on God. People allowed their land to rest in order to experience fruitful future harvest. Slaves were set free in order to restore dignity. Debts were cancelled in order to allow people a fresh start. People sought and offered forgiveness in order to allow healing in relationships.

These themes of worship, rest, freedom, new life, forgiveness and healing are not only Jubilee themes, but themes that the Church revisits annually during Lent to enable us to grow in intimacy with God and in greater love and service of our neighbour.

As you enter the Lenten desert with Jesus this year, take a moment to consider what prayer and rest might look like for you.

Pope Francis, in his Jubilee Prayer, suggests that we ask the Holy Spirit to reawaken hope:

What in your life needs a fresh start? Or where do you need to experience the freedom that Jesus offers you?

We hope that, during Lent, our Jubilee Year resources will play a role in helping you as well as others in your school community to have a personal encounter with Jesus and renew your hope in His promises.

Hands holding plant by Freepik
Cross by Freepik