An anchor in the tempest of life
As this year winds down and we all tick off another year in the logbook of our lives, it is easy to have a sense of sadness or discontent. Did we all accomplish what we set out to do at the beginning of the year? Did you lose those 10 pounds? Did you get that promotion you set out to earn? Did you finish that home improvement project?
As this year winds down and we all tick off another year in the logbook of our lives, it is easy to have a sense of sadness or discontent. Did we all accomplish what we set out to do at the beginning of the year? Did you lose those 10 pounds? Did you get that promotion you set out to earn? Did you finish that home improvement project?
While I can’t answer those questions for others, when it comes to my personal journey, I can attest to the struggle of everyday life. I trudge through each day, straining to complete all the necessary tasks; only to be left with a pile of “to-do” items when the day comes to an end.
Keeping this reality in focus, when it came time to prepare this end-of-the-year issue, the Holy Spirit led me to an article about the upcoming Jubilee 2025.
As I read the article, the theme for the year, “Pilgrims of Hope,” stood out like a beacon, longing to be seen. “How fitting,” I thought, and as I pondered on how to fashion an issue around the beginning of a Holy Year, a kind priest forwarded me a link to a video of a young man from Huntsville, Joseph Steber. As you will notice, he is the subject of this issue’s cover story. When I listened to this young man being interviewed at the National Eucharistic Congress, which took place in July of this year, his demeanor embodied a zeal for his faith which translated into genuine joy. “Surround yourself with the Eucharist as much as possible,” he said, “because the more you’re around the Eucharist, the harder it is to not believe.”
After watching this highschooler speak, it was apparent he had an electrifying belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Moreover, it seemed as if his efforts to be in the Lord’s presence enkindled true Christian hope.
Taking that into account, I would like to share the words of Pope Francis from his papal bull announcing Jubilee 2025. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring,” he noted. “Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint,” he continues, “because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love.”
So, as we prepare for the Holy Year, it is my prayer that this issue, with its focus on fostering a closeness to the Lord through adoration, will set the tone for the year ahead, for once we know in our hearts that the Lord loves us and wants us to be with Him, there is nothing, not even a year’s worth of unattained goals, that can diminish the hope for our future as a child of God.