Scripture:
Leviticus 25:1, 8-17
Matthew 14:1-12
Reflection:
“God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work God had done in creation.” ~ Genesis 2:3
From the beginning, rest has been built into the intense work of creation. Later known as the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week was a time to pause from regular work and daily activities to focus on connecting with God and others.
In today’s reading from Leviticus, God asks Moses to establish a jubilee year every 49 years. In the tradition of the Sabbath, it is to be a year of rest and restoration for the people and the land. In respect for God’s gift of Creation, no sowing, harvesting, or pruning is to be done, so the land can regenerate. And the jubilee year has an added dimension: it is to be a year of liberation, promoting the dignity of all persons. All land is to be returned to its original owners or their heirs. Since the land belongs to God, the Israelites were merely tenants or stewards of it; so, the land could never be sold forever. All indentured servants (slaves) are to be freed. And all debts are forgiven.
Ever since 1300, when Pope Boniface VII convoked a holy year, the church has celebrated jubilee years every 25 or 50 years. And in December 2024, Pope Francis announced 2025 to be a jubilee year as well. How we need the wisdom and the spirit of jubilee now!
- We are rapidly losing the irreplaceable gifts of Creation to pollution, deforestation, and desertification.
- Wars are waged, and people’s lives are destroyed over territorial boundary (land) disputes, especially in Europe and the Middle East.
- People are being trafficked as modern-day slaves.
The basis of the jubilee year is our total reliance on God, our Hope. In announcing the 2025 Jubilee year, Pope Francis prays that our renewed hope in God will give us the confident trust required for our work in promoting the dignity of all persons and the respect for God’s creation:
“The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation.”
Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She serves on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan. Patty is currently a member of the Laudato Si’ Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.