At daylong retreat, St. Luke parishioners consider Jubilee theme of hope

Following the lead of Pope Francis, who made hope the theme of this Jubilee Year, more than three dozen parishioners of St. Luke Parish, North Plainfield, spent a retreat day centered on the theme, “Hope: Facing the Transitions of Life.”

The parish Spirituality Committee, chaired by Bettina Willis, organized the Feb. 22 retreat, which featured Msgr. John Fell, diocesan episcopal vicar for clergy and consecrated life, as keynote speaker.

Msgr. Fell shared, “We are all flawed sinners but our faith, rising out of the scriptures and the Church’s tradition, brings us hope – not simply in something but in Some One – God revealed in his Divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Hope is a theological virtue poured into the individual as a divine grace.  It is also manifest as a human phenomenon understood as a belief that our future will be better than our present and that we have the possibility of making it so.”  

Both parts of this understanding are significant, stressed Msgr. Fell.  “If we speak only of the belief that the future will be better, this is simply optimism, a sunny disposition.  The driving force behind this optimism must be the personal conviction that the individual has the possibility of effectively bringing about this better future – through faith-inspired action, personal behavior, working toward an imagined better reality, and the like,” he said.  

Msgr. Fell outlined steps along this path including “prayer, goal setting, engaging in concrete strategies to achieve the goals, and then remaining resilient to living out those strategies. This all becomes doable when the person keeps his or her sight fixed on the Lord Jesus, the Source and Goal of all our hopes, the God who mercifully comes through for humanity time and time again.”  

The Monsignor’s keynote was followed by a question-and-answer session touching on a variety of topics, including the four sites to which a Jubilee pilgrimage can be made, with pilgrims receiving a plenary indulgence.

Earlier, Father Mauricio Tabera-Vasquez, St. Luke pastor, opened the retreat with a blessing and a recitation of the Hail Mary.

Jeff Lawler, a member of the parish’s Gospel Reflections group, provided the historical background to the Jubilee, which has its roots in the Old Testament celebration held every 50 years. In the year 1300, Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first ordinary jubilee for the Church and set it for every 100 years. Over time, the interval was shortened to 50 years and then to its current 25. 

Addressing the Jubilee theme of “Pilgrims of Hope,” Lawler said, “Hope is trust extended into the future, and it is relational and personal. Hope is a confident expectation that I will attain something difficult that I desire.” 

He noted that a tourist dabbles here and there, never deeply immersed, but a pilgrim takes a journey to a sacred destination.

“This is not our home,” he said. “Life is temporary, heaven is eternal. We’re on a pilgrimage to our permanent home, in union with the God who created and loves us. We place our trust in Jesus’ promises and rely upon the Holy Spirit to help us throughout the journey.” 

A combined lunch and breakout session had attendees at various tables discuss topics, then report to the full body. All answered the question, “How has hope helped you face a particular transition in your life?” Individual tables then were assigned to discuss: forgiveness; the power of hope; prayer; trust; faith; encouragement, and expectation.

The day concluded with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction in the parish church.