Advent and Jubilee – one and the same

By Fr Stephan Alexander

General Manager, CCSJ and AMMR

Advent is the season of hope, par excellence. Bishop John Arnold of Salford, England, reminds us that, “Ultimately, Jubilee is the very essence of hope; offering each of us the chance to reset, to forgive and be forgiven, to restore our relationship with one another and the world around us, and to find true peace and happiness by rediscovering God’s boundless love for each of us.”

This year, as we commence the season of Advent 2025, the Church invites us to enter this sacred time of hope, conscious of the preparation that must occur within us as we look forward “in joyful hope to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

As this Advent unfolds within the larger rhythm of the Jubilee Year, we are reminded that both Advent and Jubilee share the same spiritual DNA.

Both are seasons of hope, expectation, conversion, and renewal. Both summon us to look beyond despair and rediscover the promise that God has not abandoned His people.

However, when we look at the world around us, that hope can often feel fragile. The headlines are filled with reports of war and violence; creation itself groans under the strain of climate collapse; and countless migrants and refugees continue to wander in search of safety and dignity.

Even our own sacred spaces are not spared, as seen in the recent robberies of priests and churches, which highlight the alarming surge in violent crime and growing economic uncertainty. In the midst of all this, it is easy to grow weary, cynical, or indifferent. Yet the very message of Advent and Jubilee confronts such weariness head-on: “Awake, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph 5:14).

Friends, hope, in the Christian sense, is not naive optimism or wishful thinking. It is a steadfast trust in God’s fidelity and a courageous readiness to cooperate with His grace.

Jubilee reminds us that hope demands participation; it calls for both divine mercy and human responsibility. The ancient Jubilee, described in Leviticus, was a time for the restoration of justice: debts were forgiven, captives set free, and the land allowed to rest.

It was not merely a spiritual sentiment but a turn to social and economic action grounded in faith. In our context today, Jubilee challenges us to reclaim that same radical spirit of renewal.

We cannot wait for change to come from outside. Advent invites us to prepare the way of the Lord within our own hearts, homes, and communities.

The violence we lament in our nation reflects, at least in part, our collective failure to nurture peace and integrity in our families and communities.

The corruption we condemn in public life mirrors, in some measure, the compromises we tolerate in our private lives. If we truly wish for a more just, peaceful, and prosperous Trinidad and Tobago, we must begin by holding ourselves accountable.

Jubilee begins when we choose honesty over convenience, compassion over cynicism, and service over selfish gain.

At the same time, faith calls us to hold our leaders accountable. Hope is not passive; it speaks truth to power. It demands that governance serve the common good, protect the vulnerable, and foster the dignity of every person.

The growing tensions in our region—particularly between the United States, Venezuela, and our own nation—remind us of how fragile peace can be and how urgently dialogue, prudence, and justice are needed in all international relations. As citizens and as believers, we must pray for wisdom in leadership and work for diplomacy rooted in respect and humanity, not exploitation or political convenience.

In this season, therefore, our Advent waiting must not be idle. We are called to be Pilgrims of Hope, people who journey through darkness with the light of faith, people who build bridges where others erect walls.

Each act of forgiveness, every effort at reconciliation, each decision to live justly and love generously becomes a seed of hope sown in the soil of our society. The Christ child we await comes to dwell not in a world made perfect but in a world yearning for redemption.

Advent is God’s reminder that salvation begins in the most unlikely places; among the poor, the weary, the searching. Jubilee reminds us that every person, every nation, can begin again.

If we take these truths to heart, then even in the face of crime, hardship, and uncertainty, we will not lose hope. Instead, we will become instruments of renewal, restorers of justice, artisans of peace, and witnesses to God’s unfailing mercy.

This Advent, as the candles of the wreath are lit and the call to prepare resounds once more, may we hear in our hearts the voice of God who invites: “Return to me, for I have redeemed you” (Isa 44:22).

Let us rediscover the grace of beginning again—trusting that the same God who came to Bethlehem still walks among us, calling us to make His hope visible in our land.

For the promise of Advent and the gift of Jubilee are one and the same: God’s love is stronger than the darkness, and in Him, there is always the chance to begin anew.

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