Finish the Jubilee Year of Hope Strong

The Jubilee Year of Hope began on December 24, 2024 and has offered incredible ways to grow in hope,  which is one of three theological virtues that anchor the Christian believer.  Perhaps you have passed through the holy doors, made a pilgrimage and received an indulgence.  At this point, could there be more the Lord wants to give?  Definitely! 

Our late Holy Father’s Papal Bull, Spes Non Confundit makes it evident that hope is a flower of countless unfolding petals.  As we hover around the mid-point of this Ordinary Jubilee year…and live in the midst of our Order’s spiritual renewal… we can ask ourselves if we have allowed this to become an extraordinary year of conversion with an increased capacity to love and to serve our brothers and sisters!  By all accounts, it has been an extraordinary year for the Church, with the passing of Pope Francis and election of a new Holy Father who is also a member of our Order!  Inspired by this sign of hope, how can we finish the year strong and remember that the Lord uses us, as Knights and Dames, to be a visible sign of hope to those we encounter and serve?

The Federal Association Spirituality Committee would like to invite you to finish the Jubilee Year of Hope strong!  Here are some tips for doing so along with an additional invitation to intentionally apply them within your membership in the Order of Malta.  May these ideas be a source of renewed fervor that will help you to finish the year with perseverance, humility and openness to that “something more” which a passionate pursuit of hope will provide. 

• Begin with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in how best to connect with hope for the remainder of this Jubilee Year.  Seek to continue to listen for His promptings and act with devotion (speedily) when He speaks.
• Get to know the Saints and Blessed of our Order!  Explore how their lives and example can inspire extraordinary hope in your life and the charisms of the Order lived out.

Saints & Blesseds of the Order

• If you haven’t already, read the Papal Bull, Spes Non Confundit and expand your understanding of hope and its application.  In the light of the Holy Spirit, explore how this document’s message applies to your membership in the Order of Malta in particular.

Spes Non Confundit

• Learn about our new Holy Father…Pope Leo XIV…who is also a Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion in our Order!  Become familiar with God’s special mission for Him and how that can inspire hope among all people of good will.

Pope Leo XIV

• Go on pilgrimage…visit your nearest Holy Doors…prepare for and seek the Jubilee Year Indulgence

Decree on the Granting of an Indulgence

• Seek to grow your understanding of hope, through the heart of Sacred Scripture and the Church.  View your studies, personal encounters and ministry through a lens of hope with intentionality.
• Pray the Examen, with a particular eye toward how the Lord fostered hope in your day…or is inspiring a resolution for greater hope tomorrow
• Meditate upon past experiences of hope, allowed by the Lord in your life.  Use these meditations as an encouragement to hope for the present and future as you surrender everything to the providential care of our Lord. 

Knights and Dames are called to a noble and chivalric faith…and an uncommon Christian excellence.  May these ideas bear fruit in the lives of members, those they love and those they serve.  Finish the Jubilee Year of Hope strong…because hope does not disappoint!