It may have slipped your mind, but we are in the midst of the Jubilee Year initiated by Pope Francis last Christmas Eve. You will recall that the theme of this Jubilee Year is “pilgrims of hope.” In the decree that announced the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis called us to be tangible signs of hope for our brothers and sisters, especially those who experience hardship of any kind. I’m sure we all know someone who could use a renewed sense of hope. The pope’s decree that inaugurated this Jubilee Year is entitled “Spes non Confundit,” which is translated “Hope does not disappoint.” In this decree, Pope Francis writes: “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come.”
Today, we celebrate Laetare Sunday, a day when we, the pilgrims of hope, are called to rejoice. We are halfway through Lent and are fast approaching a particularly joyful season – Easter! The themes of being pilgrims of hope and the experience of rejoicing are certainly found in both today’s first reading and our gospel passage. In the first reading, we hear of the moment when Joshua has led the people Israel across the Jordan River back into the Promised Land. Due to their sinfulness, complaining against God and turning to worship a false god – the Golden Calf – the ancient Israelites had found themselves wandering in the desert for 40 years. But, God had continued to accompany them and they have finally completed their pilgrimage from Egypt and are now back home in the land God had promised to Abraham and his descendants. And, there is great rejoicing as they no longer have to rely on the quail and manna that God had provided them during their Exodus. Instead, they are able to eat of the fresh produce of the land of their forefathers. The hope that had sustained them during their pilgrimage in the desert is finally fulfilled. You can be sure that they rejoiced!
We encounter this same hope and rejoicing in today’s gospel account. We are all familiar with this powerful lesson of sinfulness, forgiveness and reconciliation. We have heard, once again, of the younger son who, after being lost in the desert of a sinful life, sets out on a pilgrimage back home. All he hopes for is that his father will treat him as one of his hired hands so he would have enough to eat. We hear how his father exceeds his hope, forgives him and welcomes him back into his home as his son, clothing him with the finest robe, putting a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. There is certainly cause for rejoicing and the celebration begins.
When the older brother refuses to join in the rejoicing, his father, hopeful that he can reconcile his two sons, goes out and implores his older son to join in the joyful celebration. We don’t hear the end of that part of the story but I certainly hope it was happy.
During the Season of Lent, we are called to recognize the times and ways that we have found ourselves lost in the desert of sinfulness, turning away from God, our heavenly Father, to pursue our own pleasures. Living in the hope of God’s forgiveness and desire for reconciliation, we, pilgrims of hope, are called to journey over the 40 days of Lent back to God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. As we approach the end of Lent, we rejoice today as we hear, once again, about the mercy that our loving God lavishes on his people, both the ancient Israelites and the prodigal son. Even when we have rejected God – effectively saying to God, “I want you out of my life” as the Israelites did when they turned to worship the Golden Calf and the younger son said to his father – and pursued other ways in our life, God looks out for our return and, when we come back, he is lavish in his forgiveness and love.
Jesus can certainly be seen as a pilgrim of hope. Eating with sinners, forgiving sins, boldly preaching about his Father’s unbounded mercy, he called people to follow him back to God. In the ultimate act of forgiveness, obedient to his Father, Jesus traveled to Jerusalem and gave his life for the forgiveness of our sins. This is at the core of salvation history – forgiveness. This certainly leads us to rejoicing, doesn’t it?
Our reading today from Paul’s second letter to the Christians in Corinth reminds us that God “has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation … entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” St. Paul calls us – we who have been reconciled to God through the saving action of his son – now to be ambassadors for Christ as we share God’s message of love and forgiveness. That’s just another way of calling us to be pilgrims of hope.
We, pilgrims of hope, have gathered here to celebrate the Eucharist, giving thanks to God today especially for his mercy and forgiveness. As we rejoice today in anticipation of celebrating Easter, which gives us the hope of returning to the true Promised Land – heaven, let us be messengers of that hope to a world where so many people live without it. We’re halfway there. Let’s press on with a renewed sense of hope and joy.