“Tonight, the door of hope has opened wide to the world.” This is what Pope Francis said in his homily at the Christmas Eve celebration. A little while before, the Pope had just opened the Jubilee Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican as a start to a special year focused on the holy virtue of hope.
During this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis wants every Christian to rediscover the power of the great gift of hope in God. The Pope assured: “Hope is not dead; hope is alive and embraces our lives forever. Hope does not disappoint!” “Tonight, God is speaking to each one of us and says: ‘There is hope for you too!’ There is hope for all of us. And don’t forget, my brothers, that God forgives everything, God always forgives.”
The Pope calls us to learn from the shepherds of Bethlehem, who on the news of the angel left immediately to see. In the same way, the Pope tells us that every Christian is called to quickly recover the hope he has lost, renew the hope in his heart and then sow the seeds of hope wherever he is. “There is so much desolation in our time. We think of wars, of children being shot at, bombs on schools and hospitals. Do not delay, do not sit back, but let yourself be led by the Good News.”
Pope Francis continued: “Brothers, this is the Jubilee. This is the season of hope in which we are invited to rediscover the joy of meeting the Lord. The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to change our world for the better, so that this year will truly be a time of jubilation.”
The Pope does not mince words too much and tells us that we have a big task ahead of us. “All of us received the gift and the commitment to bring hope wherever it was lost, where life was broken, promises were not kept, dreams were shattered, and hearts were conquered by difficulties.”
“Dear brothers, the holy door of God’s heart is open before you. Jesus, God-with-us, was born for you, for me, for us, for every man and woman. And don’t forget that with him, happiness flourishes; with him, life changes; with him, hope does not disappoint.”
