In March, the Jubilee spotlight is on Volunteers, Jesus, and Mercy

As we continue through this Jubilee of Hope, these particular jubilees press hope ever more deeply into our hearts. We are called to be volunteers who witness to this hope, because we have first encountered the reasons for our hope in Jesus, present in the Eucharist and in Confession. Then, we fulfill St. Peter’s instruction: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” (1 Pt 3:15). 

During March, we begin the holy season of Lent. We may not associate this penitential season with Hope, but it is during this time that we are called to conversion based on confidence that God’s mercy is infinitely greater than the worst of our sins.

Lent also provides the proper context for the three particular Jubilee Year celebrations: of Volunteers and Voluntary Work (March 8-9); 24 Hours for the Lord (March 28); and the Missionaries of Mercy (March 28-30).

The world of volunteering
A volunteer, by definition, is someone who does not earn payment for work. Such activity provides a breath of Hope because it reminds us that, in the Kingdom of God, economic values are not primary. Rather, love is the basis for all relationships and all  transactions.

We are made by the God who is love, so that we would abide and live in His love, sharing that love with each other. While we are no longer in Eden, our hearts remember that we were created for life that is governed by such self-giving love as expressed through volunteering. 

This particular Jubilee not only enables us to support volunteers with gratitude, but also to give space and time for the volunteers themselves to be refreshed in hope. Like Martha, they may be immersed in many activities for the sake of others (see Lk 10:39-42). But they are invited, like Mary, to spend time with Jesus, so that their own hearts are renewed in the hope that they, too, will receive their reward of abiding in His love always.

Volunteers needed for Divine Mercy Weekend, April 26-27! Sign up here.

24 Hours for the Lord
The celebration of 24 Hours for the Lord is appropriate in following after the Jubilee for Volunteers. Observed around the world, this time of Eucharistic Adoration, in which we are called to spend time with the Lord like Mary, is also a time for conversion and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

While we are called to give of ourselves to others, we cannot give what we do not have, what we have not first received. By receiving divine grace in abundance from Jesus in the Sacraments, we are strengthened to serve others out of joyful generosity, without falling into the anxiety and worry of Martha. These 24 Hours remind us that Jesus first longs and thirsts for our presence and our love, and that He desires that we “volunteer” our time to be with Him.

Missionaries of Mercy
The Missionaries of Mercy — instituted by Pope Francis in the Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 — is a reminder that even the worst of sins can be confessed and be cleansed, according to the promise of the Lord: “Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they may become white as wool” (Is 1:18).

We sometimes hold a secret despair in our hearts, that our sins are too ugly to be forgiven in full. We may avoid quiet time before the Lord because we grapple with knowing ourselves as sinners. But the Missionaries of Mercy remind us of our fundamental reason for hope: Jesus Christ has died for us and, by pouring forth His blood and water, has gained for us forgiveness of all sins. We have only to step forward and confess our sins, confident that we will be met by His infinite mercy.

Witnesses to hope
As we continue through this Jubilee of Hope, these particular jubilees press hope ever more deeply into our hearts. We are called to be volunteers who witness to this hope, because we have first encountered the reasons for our hope in Jesus, present in the Eucharist and in Confession. Then, we fulfill St. Peter’s instruction: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” (1 Pt 3:15). 

Let us pray for those involved in these jubilees, that as they offer us hope, they themselves may deepen their hope in the risen Lord!

Visit our special Jubilee Year of Hope section for everything you need to know about the Holy Year.
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