Dear Friends, Family, Sisters and Brothers,

Blessings to you, my dear friends and families. 

We are ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ and during this Jubilee year we have the opportunity to focus on our hope through faith in God’s everlasting promises and by providing charity to others. We live among people who, at times, lose hope. Yet we see the everlasting hope in the Gospels. Jesus promises us hope and joy, both in this world and in the next. Many of the worldly problems of people both young and old spring from a lack of hope. We know people who suffer from depression, anxiety and many forms of addictions. People who are in great despair might consider self-harm, and people who feel down may be lacking hope. However, when we nurture our relationship with Jesus and with people around us it brings forth His everlasting hope.  

Our hope is a trust in God, and our active belief of His future blessing. Hope enables us to look beyond our present incomplete existence in anticipation of the full future of God’s final kingdom and the liberating resurrection of His creation. St. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:14, “For those lead by the Spirit of God are children of God.” As children of God, through Jesus, we can spread the hope He offers to people who are hopeless. We can identify His signs of hope in our healthy relationships, in our courage and in our optimism. Hope springs from the eternal Love of God which is an ever-present reality in our lives – especially when times are darkest.