YOUTH VOICES • JUBILEE

LEARNING TO HOPE

“Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you”- Leviticus 25:10

The Year of Jubilee comes as an opportunity for all of us to experience a sense of renewal, forgiveness and to realign our lives with God, who invites us to freedom and to live joyful, courageous and meaningful lives. For that process to be facilitated, as the author states, we need to revisit some of our past experiences and reorientate some of our practises.

BY CRYSTAL THERESA | JOHANNESBURG

WHEN I first heard the phrase “Jubilee of Youth,” the words that came to mind were “joy” and “freedom.”

For the past five years of parenthood, I have felt caught up in a place between childhood and adulthood (at full throttle). All so often, all I had to give was my presence. I was caught up in the frustration of boundless bedtime energy radiating from the tiny people in my life, right before they collapsed into sleep, abandoned to rest. I sat in awe of their freedom—how a full-blown meltdown could turn into sheer exhilaration at the sight of a lollipop or a puppy. I marvelled at their unquestioning trust, at how quickly assurance would settle them the moment you held out your hand or opened your arms, how their fears would melt away in a second.

All of this stood in sharp contrast to my own exhaustion. I was clinging to control, struggling to fall asleep, to face each new day with a heart weighed down by fear. That disparity made me long for a time in my life when I was fearless, courageous, and confident—a time when rest was a guilt-free pleasure.

As the New Year began, I found myself yearning for the freedom, abandonment, courage, trust, and rest familiar to my youth. As divine providence would have it, the Church, in her wisdom, declared a Year of Jubilee. As I listened to podcasts and explored what this meant, I realised I was being given permission to reach for the very things I had been longing for. But like most things in life, I soon learned that to receive them, I had to knuckle down—to learn, unlearn and re-learn.

So, allow me to walk you through what I’ve been learning, unlearning, and re-learning.

A Pilgrimage of Hope

I have learned that this is, as themed, a “pilgrimage of hope”. If it is a pilgrimage, it is a journey—one with the goal of acquiring the theological virtue of hope.

What I am unlearning is the idea that hope is something you just have, without effort. The reality is, any journey requires preparation, effort, and endurance—before, during, and after.

The reality is, any journey requires preparation, effort, and endurance—before, during, and after.

What I am re-learning is how light everything once felt. How much joy there was in the spontaneous road trips of my university days, armed with nothing more than laughter, music, love, a sense of adventure, and the ability to see the light side when things went wrong. There was wonder and gratitude, and somehow, things always worked out—often despite us.

What I am now embracing is the deeper security that comes when your travel companion is Jesus. The laughter becomes a deeper joy. The wrong turns may still come, but there is peace, even in uncertainty. The difficult terrain is more bearable, even beautiful, and it becomes easier to keep going—even if more slowly—through the storm.

The Meaning of Jubilee

I have learned that the concept of the Jubilee Year dates back to over 3,500 years ago, to the time of Moses and the Pharaohs, rooted in Leviticus 25. It was observed every 50 years: debts forgiven, slaves set free, families reunited, and everyone invited to rest in God’s fullness. It was reminiscent of the Exodus—when God led the Israelites out of slavery, parted the Red Sea, and guided them by a cloud during the day and a fire at night, feeding them with manna and giving them water from a rock.

In reflecting on this, I am struck by the Israelites’ ingratitude—how quickly they forgot all God had done, how they complained and rebelled. That generation never entered the Promised Land. Instead, it was Joshua and Caleb—youthful, bold, and courageous—who believed in God’s promise and led the next generation forward.

When Moses sent out the spies, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who saw through eyes of faith. While others focused on the giants and their own inadequacies, Joshua and Caleb remembered what God had already done. Caleb declared, “…we should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it!” (Num 13: 30). Joshua later said, “… the land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land… Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people… their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them!” (Num 14:7-9).

Liberty has been proclaimed. This is a Jubilee Year for both you and me.

I am unlearning my worldly instinct to focus on the giants in my life. I am re-learning how to lift my eyes to God and His promises. I can choose to be overcome by exhaustion, or I can choose to hold on to Joshua’s words and walk fully in the grace of the Jubilee, resting in God’s fullness.

Let this be the year you step into forgiveness. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is there—just go. Forgive those who have wronged you. God will be pleased. Rest in the knowledge that you are pleasing to the Lord, that His protection is over you—and in that, you have no reason to fear.

To the Youth

You are living in a season where your freedom is new—like all novelties, it is exciting and full of possibility. Use it well. Grasp the grace being poured out on the Church in this time. Ask Jesus to realign your vision with God’s original plan for your life and for humanity. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you experience it fully.

I am unlearning my worldly instinct to focus on the giants in my life. I am relearning how to lift my eyes to God and His promises.

Root your boldness, trust, excitement, confidence, and fearlessness in the unshakable reality of the Cross—and all it promises.

To the Rest of Us

Remember the joy that came with youthful freedom. Reflect on how you used that freedom. Repent where it was misaligned with God’s will. Step into the fullness of the forgiveness that has already been granted—and begin again, with the enthusiasm and vigour of someone newly set free.

To Parents

As we mark Father’s Day this month, and Mother’s Day just past, I say this: learn from your children—and from the children God has placed around you.

Take note of the trust they have in you. See how peacefully they sleep in your arms, even in the middle of a storm. Watch how quickly they cry when hurt—and just how quickly they forget and forgive. Notice how they run to you for comfort. See how their confidence grows simply from holding your hand.

God is your Father. Our Lady is your heavenly Mother. Follow your children’s example. Surrender to the grace of this Year of Favor. Rest well in the arms of your heavenly parents—God the Father and Our Lady, your Mother.