Bishop of Roseau His Lordship Kendrick Forbes says the theme for the jubilee year “hope” is very Bishop of Roseau His Lordship Kendrick Forbes says the theme for the jubilee year “Hope” is very appropriate and relevant for the times in which we live.
On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica marking the official launch of Jubilee 2025, and on December 29, 2024, along with the faithful in Cathedrals and co-Cathedrals across the world marked the official opening of the Jubilee year in the diocese of Roseau.
According to Bishop Forbes, ours is an age of paradox because while we are living at a time of great technological and scientific achievement, we also live in a world where so much exists that threatens hope.
He stated, “Far too many people’s life is simply endured and do not give much ground for hope.”
“The observance of a jubilee year provides us with the opportunity to deepen our relationship with the Lord, to focus with great intensity on the virtues of forgiveness, reconciliation, and charity. A jubilee year is meant to be a time of spiritual growth and conversion, a spiritual reset if you will,” Bishop Forbes stated.
“The jubilee of Hope in particular, is an opportunity to come to understand more and more that God is always present to us, He loves us and never abandons us even in moments of suffering, doubts, and moments when we are tempted to feel all alone.”
He continued, “Every pious undertaking in the Church is motivated by the call to holiness and the Jubilee 2025 is no different.”
“The Jubilee of Hope is about more than a series of events aimed at making us feel more optimistic about life. The initiatives we engage in during the Jubilee Year are intended to help us grow in holiness and conformity to Christ, strengthen our faith, encourage works of charity and mercy, deepen the bonds of unity in the Church, and inspire greater efforts of discipleship,” he said.
“Hope, along with faith and love form is called the three theological virtues. Faith is the virtue that allows us to believe in God and entrust ourselves to Him. Hope is the virtue that orients us to God as our end. Love is the virtue that makes us most like God because love is who God is. These three virtues are what theologians call “infused virtues” meaning, they come to us not from our making but from grace. They are gifts given to us by God, that serve to direct us towards salvation,” His Lordship stated.
He said the virtue of “hope” can be described as “an unshakable trust and assurance that the promises of God will be fulfilled. Hope is the virtue that says God has my best interest at heart even when tempted to believe otherwise. It is the virtue that reassures me that God is active in the world even when things seem random and unexplained, hope is the reassurance that suffering, pain, and evil, don’t have the last word, God does! Hope is the virtue which tells me that God does not create evil or cause it to happen, but he can bring good from it.”