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It’s strange, time is a global concept. Every country and religion understands time in the same way. Yet, despite this, different countries and different religions have different year-end and start dates. The liturgical year is another name for the church year. It’s this calendar which determines what day specific festivals will happen each year. It starts on the first Sunday of Advent, that’s roughly four weeks before Christmas and marks the birth, life, death, and ultimate resurrection of Jesus.
It doesn’t just determine the events of the year, it also dictates which scriptures should be read. They are either annual scriptures or on a cycle of several years. Alongside this, the Catholic Church believes that every twenty-five years, people are given/need the opportunity to return to God via a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation. The next Jubilee is 2025.
Participating in the Jubilee is a transformative experience, and many faithful choose to celebrate this moment with special Jubilee 2025 items that symbolize their faith and spiritual journey.
The 2025 Jubilee
On 9 May 2024, Pope Francis announced that 2025 would be a Jubilee year, commencing on 24 December 2024 and ending on 6th January 2026. The theme for this jubilee is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. The Pope went on to explain that he wasn’t just talking about worldly hope or optimism. Instead, it was hope for the future, for the possibility of living a better life based on the fact that Jesus died and rose again for everyone.
His speech called for nations to grant amnesty to prisoners and the most powerful nations to forgive the debts of poor countries. It remains to see what will happen during the year of hope.
How the liturgical year unites communities
One thing is certain, the liturgical year and jubilee will unite communities across the globe. There are several ways in which it can unite people.
The most obvious is that everyone taking part in the jubilee year will feel connected with others participants. Thanks to the power of the internet, communities in one country can connect, interact, and even share experiences effortlessly. Doing so automatically creates a feeling of community and unity, bringing people together.
In addition to the sense of community, it is of great importance the purpose of the Jubilee which is to encourage hope by seeking forgiveness for all sins and reconciling yourself back to God. The aim is to bring you closer to God. However, it also allows you to shed your burdens. This can make the difference between talking to someone and not talking through embarrassment, shame, or fear.
Anything that encourages people to talk will help unite individuals and communities across the globe.
A jubilee year reminds Catholic Christians of who they are and what they believe in. That helps each person develop a sense of purpose, making it easier to commit to their beliefs and be open to communicating with others.
In many cases, this makes it easier for people to talk to each other and look past differences. In other instances, it simply opens communication channels between like-minded people.
In addition, the liturgical year goes through set phases, and communities across the globe will be united in preparing for, and celebrating, each of those phases and associated occasions.
It’s not obligatory but many Christians undertake a pilgrimage during the Jubilee year. While the obvious and potentially best destination is the Vatican, that’s not a possibility for everyone. That’s why the Church has special forgiveness doors open in churches around the world. You can pilgrimage to a local one and will meet a variety of people on your way there. This gives you the chance to connect with people on a physical level which reinforces the bonds of Christianity and draws people together.
Summing Up
The Church has been uniting people for centuries, bringing them to God and providing a place where people can feel comfortable, share, and be part of a larger community. While communities have always interacted, the internet has made it easier than ever. In short, it’s allowed the connection between global communities, geography is no longer an issue.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
