A number of people have asked about what a Jubilee year is, and how important it is. The good news; none of you need to be distressed if you aren’t totally informed about jubilee years. A quick look at the Church Catechism shows nothing about it. A Jubilee year is simply a pious custom, based on the Old Testament jubilee tradition, combined with the New Testament emphasis on forgiveness of sins.
In the Old Testament law, every fiftieth year was to be set aside for the forgiveness of debts and the release of slaves. Ancient Judaism was unique in that way regarding slavery; every ancient culture practiced it, but the jubilee year was a unique grace for slaves to receive freedom without the huge difficulty of paying a ransom. In the Christian era, Popes have proclaimed Jubilee years since the 13th century as special times to encourage pilgrimages and confession of sin. Sin is a type of slavery, so freedom from sin is the greatest of all freedoms. A number of special jubilee years have been held in modern times, not just every 50 years.
The idea of a pilgrimage is a very rich concept, deserving a fuller treatment at a later time. A pilgrimage is a physical journey that reminds us of a more important spiritual trip. Millions of Christians each year visit either the Holy Land or Rome on pilgrimages. A number of St. Raphael parishioners will take part in a pilgrimage to Rome this winter. (Alas your pastor will not be among them.)
Blessings in Christ,
Fr. Matthew