Holy Doors & Dirty Feet

As a laywoman in the Catholic Church, the 2025 Jubilee Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope, resonates deeply with my personal journey of faith. It calls us to embrace hope as the guiding light on our pilgrim path through life, trusting in God’s unwavering promises. In reflecting on this theme, I cannot help to be drawn back to my time living and studying in Rome during the Great Jubilee of 2000 and how that experience connects to the hope-filled invitation of this new Jubilee.

In his Papal Bull, Spes Non Confundit, Pope Francis beautifully weaves the Jubilee’s theme of hope into the fabric of our lives today. He reminds us that this hope is not abstract but deeply rooted in our experiences of God’s love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5). The 2000 Jubilee reminded us of God’s mercy and our call to embrace the future with faith. The 2025 Jubilee builds on this foundation, inviting us to journey forward as Pilgrims of Hope, trusting that God’s love remains constant amid the uncertainties of our present time.

One of the most profound symbols of pilgrimage and hope for me is Caravaggio’s Madonna dei Pellegrini (Madonna of the Pilgrims), located in the Church of Sant’Agostino in Rome. The painting depicts two weary pilgrims kneeling before the Madonna and Child, their feet caked in dirt, their postures humble and reverent. What strikes me most is the juxtaposition of their weariness with their courage. Despite their flaws and the hardship of their journey, they kneel with trust, confident that Mary and her Son will welcome them.

In this Jubilee Year, we are invited to become like those pilgrims — unafraid to approach God with our burdens, weaknesses, and weariness. Like the Madonna dei Pellegrini, Mary reminds us that hope does not disappoint because it leads us to Jesus. She is the gentle guide who helps us navigate the challenges of our journey, always pointing us toward the One who is our ultimate hope.

The Jubilee of 2025 challenges us to embody this hope in our own lives and to share it with others. How can we, as Pilgrims of Hope, become beacons of light in a world often marked by fear and despair? How can we bring the love and mercy of Christ to those who feel lost or burdened? One of the greatest lessons from the 2000 Jubilee is that we are not pilgrims alone. The Church is a global family, and our journey is shared. This sense of solidarity is vital as we move through the Jubilee of 2025. Together, we can build a world that reflects the hope we profess — a world where love, compassion, and mercy triumph over division and indifference. As we walk through this sacred year, let us draw strength and inspiration from Pope Francis’ reminder in Spes Non Confundit that our hope is grounded in the certainty of God’s love. Let us trust that, like the pilgrims of 2000 and those in Caravaggio’s painting, we are being led closer to the heart of Christ. May this Jubilee Year be a time of renewal and grace for each of us, a time to rediscover the joy of being pilgrims of hope, a time to walk boldly into the future, knowing that in Christ, our hope will never disappoint.

* Executive Director
Maryland Catholic Conference

By Jenny Kraska*