Bishop Lucia leads the diocese into the Jubilee Year
By Dc. Tom Cuskey
Contributing writer
“You shall treat this fiftieth year as sacred. You shall proclaim liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to your own property, each of you to your own family.” (Leviticus 25:10)
This first Scripture mention of proclaiming a Jubilee year is from Leviticus, the third book of the Old Testament. The Lord gives specific direction to Moses on Mount Sinai as to how it should be observed.
Fast forward to modern-day Rome where Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope. Now observed every 25 years, a jubilee is a time to deepen one’s faith during a year of joyful celebration and forgiveness of sins.
In keeping with the pope’s specific direction, dioceses around the world were urged to celebrate a jubilee-opening Mass on Dec. 29, the Feast of the Holy Family. Bishop Douglas J. Lucia did exactly that, knocking on the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception’s door with his crosier and symbolically leading the faithful into the Jubilee Year as he entered the Cathedral worship space.
“May your merciful love be upon us as we hope in you, O Lord,” Bishop proclaimed during the opening rite. “We solemnly open the Jubilee Year for the Church of Syracuse … This rite is, for us, the prelude to a rich experience of grace and mercy.”
An extended introductory rite included a Gospel reading, explanatory addresses as to the robust history of the Jubilee Year, the chanting of the Litany of the Saints, a blessing of water at the Baptismal font and a sprinkling of the assembly with that blessed water.
During his homily in the Mass that followed, Bishop Lucia described a maturation process of Catholic faith that enables us to “make it our own. There is a time when we must begin to make the transition from being a Catholic Christian by birth to being one by choice.”
Bishop also found a unique means of relating the special opening moments of the Jubilee rite with the message of the day, recalling memories of his nephews’ love of a specific brand of humor in their childhood years.
“Knock, knock,” he said, imagining the voice of a young Jesus.
“Who’s there?”
“Jesus!”
“Jesus who?”
“Open the door and come and see,” Bishop concluded, adding that this is what the coming “Holy Year is all about.”
In a brief interview following the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop shared a thought for the faithful of the diocese as to how this Jubilee year might be embraced by all.
“I think it comes from the image that we have in today’s Gospel, Joseph and Mary searching for Jesus, because they recognize He was their son, but they recognize in Him such a great treasure. And that’s what we’re being invited in this whole year, to again search for treasure … that treasure is there for the finding, and it’s Jesus Himself for you and me.”
Editor’s note: A number of Jubilee programs, retreats and a pilgrimage will be offered during the coming year. The Catholic Sun and diocesan media will share the schedule as programs are finalized. In the meantime, we invite you to watch the Jubilee opening Mass on the diocesan YouTube page (youtube.com/@syrdio).
