On Sunday 14 December, as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope and on the occasion of the Jubilee of Prisoners, Bishop Richard Moth, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and Lead Bishop for Prisons, issued a pastoral letter to his diocese.
Acknowledging the challenge that the topic of hope presents to those in prison and their loved ones, Bishop Richard wrote:
“Within the confines of the cell and the regime in prison, it may not be easy to think about a pilgrimage to Rome. Yet, the fact that Pope Leo and the crowds who with gather with him in Rome this weekend to pray especially for you is a reminder that nobody is ever abandoned by God, who loves each and every one of us. Even when we have gone down the wrong road in life, the love of God is always there for us, just as it is there for our families, our loved ones and those who have been affected by our actions.”
On the same day, Pope Leo celebrated a special Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. During his homily, Pope Leo said:
“The choice of this day, the third Sunday of Advent, for this particular jubilee is rich in meaning, as it is the day that the Church calls Gaudete Sunday, whose name comes from the first words of the entrance antiphon for the Mass (cf. Phil 4:4). In the Liturgical Year, it is the Sunday “of joy”, which reminds us of the bright aspect of waiting: the confidence that something beautiful, something joyful will happen.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
During this last year, the Church has been celebrating a Jubilee Year – the Jubilee of Hope. The year was opened by Pope Francis on Christmas eve last year, with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s in Rome. During the year a vast number of people have made a pilgrimage to Rome and there have been celebrations on most weekends during the year, focusing on the many different groups of people who form the family of the Church. This weekend is a special moment for all those, across the whole world, who are in prison, for the focus for this weekend is the Jubilee for Prisoners.
Perhaps a Year of Hope is not easy for us all. There may still be some time left of a sentence; there may be anxiety about a coming court appearance; there may be worry about family or concern about what will happen after release.
Within the confines of the cell and the regime in prison, it may not be easy to think about a pilgrimage to Rome. Yet, the fact that Pope Leo and the crowds who with gather with him in Rome this weekend to pray especially for you is a reminder that nobody is ever abandoned by God, who loves each and every one of us. Even when we have gone down the wrong road in life, the love of God is always there for us, just as it is there for our families, our loved ones and those who have been affected by our actions.
The readings at Mass this Sunday are all about the theme of waiting. Perhaps, like the people in Isaiah’s time, we feel that we are in a desert place, that we are weak and anxious. Isaiah reminds us that God will come to save us.
Perhaps, like the people to whom John the Baptist had preached before himself being sent to prison, we are looking for something, someone. Jesus tells the people that He is the one we seek. Jesus has indeed come – we are going to be celebrating his birth in 11 days time – and we know that He is always with us.
St. James, in his letter from which we hear today, writes about patience. This can be a real challenge, especially when time seems to drag and one day simply follows the next with little change. Fixing our minds on the person of Jesus, knowing that it is Him we seek, brings life in the desert.
Just as the pilgrim to Rome can go through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s, so the door of hope is always there for us. The door of the cell may be closed for many hours each day, but Jesus is always with us. Allowing Him to give us the gift of hope changes our lives – and there is no place that Jesus cannot reach if we open the door to Him.
Pope Leo and the many pilgrims in Rome are praying very specially for you today. I am with them and am remembering you all very particularly at Mass in St. Peter’s with the Holy Father.
May the Lord Bless you with His gift of Hope now and always.
