Entries

Lenten Devotion for the Jubilee Year III

March 28, 2025

Fr. John Colacino C.PP.S.

Jubilee Hymn

Penitential Invocations

Lord, you are the defense of the poor: R. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, you are the refuge of the weak: R. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, you are the hope of sinners: R. Lord, have mercy.

Jubilee Prayer of Pope Francis

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.

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.

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.

To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen.

Scripture (Isaiah 61:1-3)

The Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me, because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound,^[to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.

Psalm Response

Meditation (Pope Francis; Spes non confundit; Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025)

Saint Paul is a realist. He knows that life has its joys and sorrows, that love is tested amid trials, and that hope can falter in the face of suffering. Even so, he can write: “We boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Rom 5:3-4). For the Apostle, trials and tribulations mark the lives of those who preach the Gospel amid incomprehension and persecution (cf. 2 Cor 6:3-10). Yet in those very contexts, beyond the darkness we glimpse a light: we come to realize that evangelization is sustained by the power flowing from Christ’s cross and resurrection. In this way, we learn to practise a virtue closely linked to hope, namely patience. In our fast-paced world, we are used to wanting everything now. We no longer have time simply to be with others; even families find it hard to get together and enjoy one another’s company. Patience has been put to flight by frenetic haste, and this has proved detrimental, since it leads to impatience, anxiety and even gratuitous violence, resulting in more unhappiness and self-centredness. Nor is there much place for patience in this age of the Internet, as space and time yield to an ever-present “now”. Were we still able to contemplate creation with a sense of awe, we might better understand the importance of patience. We could appreciate the changes of the seasons and their harvests, observe the life of animals and their cycles of growth, and enjoy the clarity of vision of Saint Francis. In his Canticle of the Creatures, written exactly eight hundred years ago, Francis saw all creation as a great family and could call the sun his “brother” and the moon his “sister”. A renewed appreciation of the value of patience could only prove beneficial for ourselves and for others. Saint Paul often speaks of patience in the context of our need for perseverance and confident trust in God’s promises. Yet, before all else, he testifies to God’s own patience, as “the God of all patience and encouragement” ( Rom 15:5). Patience, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, sustains our hope and strengthens it as a virtue and a way of life. May we learn to pray frequently for the grace of patience, which is both the daughter of hope and at the same time its firm foundation.

Hymn

Intercessions

Introduction: The Lord of life and history gives the help of the Holy Spirit to pilgrims in their journey through time, so that they may recognize the ways that lead to good and be able to proclaim: "Jesus is Lord." With firm hope, let us call upon our heavenly Father.

O Father, in Your mercy, hear Your children’s pleas. In this Jubilee of 2025, renew our faith, increase the virtues of hope and charity in us, and help us be witnesses of Your love in the world.

We praise You, Lord, for Your infinite goodness. In this Jubilee year, open our eyes to the beauty of Your creation so that our hearts may rejoice in the wonder and greatness of Your works.”

We thank You, O God, for every blessing and for all the gifts we have received. In this Holy Year teach us to recognize Your hand in every moment of our lives and to welcome each day as a gift of Your mercy and love.

Lord, source of all wisdom, as we celebrate the Jubilee open our hearts and enlighten our minds so that we may understand and fully experience the gifts of mercy and forgiveness.

Collect

O God, who through your Only Begotten Son brought to the human race the remedy of salvation and the gift of eternal life, grant to all who are reborn in Christ the desire and the strength to do what you command, so that the people called to your Kingdom may be firm in faith, joyful in hope, and active in charity.

Archives