A Jubilee of Hope in a Time of Darkness

The session began with an opening prayer led by Sr Cecilia, introducing the theme of a jubilee of hope.

Then, Fr. David Neuhaus gave a very enriching presentation on the topic of the day. He began his presentation, discussing the concept of hope in the context of the jubilee year 2025, emphasizing the darkness and fear in the current situation, particularly in the Holy Land. He further discussed the ongoing violence and destruction in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran, and emphasized the need for a jubilee of hope. Fr. David expressed anxiety over the threat of nuclear war and exploitation, leading to a sense of despair. He encouraged the audience to acknowledge the darkness while maintaining hope, even in moments of despair, and invited reflection on personal identity in the face of these challenges.

Fr. David discussed the challenge of reading the signs of the times in a world overwhelmed by evil and violence, emphasizing the need to recognize goodness and the yearning for God's presence. He highlighted the fragile desire for peace, enthusiasm for life, call for freedom and equality, and generosity, which Pope Francis identifies as sources of hope.

He explained that the jubilee, a concept derived from the Hebrew word "yovel" referring to the 50th year in the Pentateuch, involves freedom, restoration, and equality, as described in the book of Leviticus. He highlighted the jubilee's role in preventing slavery and promoting a society free from inequality and fear, urging listeners to read Leviticus 25 for a deeper understanding of this concept. In addition, he discussed the concept of jubilee, focusing on the biblical passage from Luke 4:16-21, where Jesus proclaims the year of the Lord's favor. He emphasized that the Spirit of the Lord is upon all to bring good news, release the captives, and let the oppressed go free.

He stressed that hope must not be an opium or illusion, but rather a call to action and solidarity with those suffering. He delivered a passionate speech about hope in dark times, drawing on biblical figures like Abraham (Gen:18.25), Habakkuk (Hab1:2), and Jesus (Mark 15:34) to demonstrate that expressing pain and rage to God can lead to transformation. In times of incredible darkness, when one feels so broken, and when God seems so distant, he encouraged the listeners to direct their scream of anger, their scream of rage, their scream of pain to God who can do something about it.

Fr. David shared on finding hope, particularly in challenging times, emphasizing the importance of hope as a gift from God and proposed an exercise of reflecting on past experiences to find strength and hope. He shared personal experiences of darkness, including apartheid in South Africa and the Nazi regime, but found hope in remembering past victories over darkness. Likewise, he exhorted the listeners to search back to their experiences of hope, to see hope as remembering, a remembrance that gives hope – hope that is born before the tomb that is empty, remembering that darkness does not last forever and that God will not allow death to have the final word. The memory of Christ’s death and resurrection is at the center of our daily lives, especially in the Eucharist, a celebration of God’s fidelity, death has already been vanquished. Fr. David concluded by quoting Pope Leo XIV's call for every baptized person to be a sign of hope in the world today, emphasizing that hope comes from lived experience of God's presence rather than empty piety.

The presentation was followed by opening the forum for the audience to share their comments, thoughts, reflections or pose questions resulting in a rich conversation. Father David recommended a Vatican News article co-written by Moaz Yinon, an Israeli and Aziz Abusara, a Palestinian as an example of hope and suggested watching the film "No Other Land" for a deeper understanding of the situation. The session concluded with gratitude expressed to Fr. David for his inspiring reflection and a call to remain signs of hope in the face of darkness.