“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” — St. Francis of Assisi
The Jubilee 2025 calls us to be true Pilgrims of Hope, walking alongside all families, especially those who live the experience of migration. The migrants remind us that, amid the challenges and pains of those seeking a dignified life, the Church is called to be a sign of comfort, hospitality, and faith.
Just as the Holy Family experienced exile when they fled to Egypt (cf. Mt 2:13–15), many families today are forced to leave their homeland. This Holy Year invites us to recognize in every migrant the living face of Christ, who asks to be welcomed, protected, and accompanied with love.
Tenderness that Breaks Borders
St. Francis of Assisi was a radical witness of the Gospel. He chose to follow Christ through poverty, simplicity, and love for every creature. His life was a concrete response to Jesus’ call to love the poor, care for creation, and build bridges where others raise walls. In a world that often divides, Francis teaches us to see others as brothers and sisters, to heal wounds with tenderness, and to restore hope to those who have lost it.
His example continues to echo powerfully today. In every migrant family, we find an opportunity to live that universal fraternity which the saint of Assisi embodied — a life that unites, embraces, and chooses love above all else.
Compassion that Becomes Action
Migrants are not statistics but real faces — stories of struggle, faith, and hope. Many seek to survive; others simply long for a safe future for their children. To be compassionate is not merely to understand their situation but to imitate Christ, to act with charity, and to extend a helping hand to those who suffer.
Pope Francis reminds us that “charity knows no borders.” Empathy, to be truly Christian, must become concrete action. In this world that God has entrusted to us as our common home, we are called to respect, love, and celebrate the dignity of every person. The Lord tells us:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
The Jubilee: A Call to Transform the World
To live the Jubilee is to open our hearts to the joy of the Gospel and to allow mercy to transform our communities. Migrant families teach us the value of faith amid uncertainty, the strength of hope in adversity, and the greatness of love that never gives up.
Jubilee 2025 offers us the opportunity to bear witness to these values and to build a universal community that celebrates diversity, cultivates fraternity, and sows the peace of our Redeemer. To be Pilgrims of Hope is to walk together, letting God renew our vision and our capacity to love.
Final Prayer
Lord, help me to be Your hands, Your arms, Your feet, and Your voice — to embrace, console, and lift up my brothers and sisters.
Teach me to recognize in each person my own family, a glimpse of the heavenly dwelling we long for.
Father, place before me those who need renewed hope, and open my eyes to see them, so that I may offer a compassionate embrace.
Holy Spirit, pour out Your grace so that in everything we may see Your presence and unmistakable light.
Let our lives fulfill the mission You placed within our cradle.
Your grace is enough! Amen
