A Spiritual Reset - On Walking This Pilgrimage of Hope

Hope does not disappoint us.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Okay, I have never gotten the hang of rejoicing in my sufferings. But I recognize the truth here.

The year 2025 is a jubilee year. In the Bible, a jubilee year is a time when prisoners and slaves are released and debts forgiven. It is a great societal and spiritual reset.

Hope does not disappoint—With these words Pope Francis declared 2025 to be a jubilee of hope. Catholics around the world are going on pilgrimage and renewing their spiritual practice, renewing their hope.

I joined the people of St. Mary’s, the church up the hill, on one of these pilgrimages, this one to Killelton, the Church of Eitlín. There was something weighing heavy on my heart that day. My walking companion asked, “How are you?” That’s not a question in Ireland. It’s a greeting. But I couldn’t help it. My troubles poured out. She most graciously listened.

The words of the pope’s declaration came to her: Hope does not disappoint. We pieced together more of the verse: Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us. We couldn’t remember where it came from. Romans, I guessed. And here today it is.

I can’t bring myself to rejoice. But it’s true.

I have heard someone with cancer say that people tell her she is brave. She objects that she is not brave. She simply has no choice but to endure, to make one terrible choice after another because what would be the alternative? Suffering must be endured.

But making one difficult choice after another is exactly what character is. If one’s life choices are not difficult, if one’s life is about flavors of ice cream, then there is no strength developed, not the kind of strength needed when the way gets difficult. Character is who one is when faced with obstacles.

So character is the source of hope—knowing that one can endure in the face of obstacles. There is the victory that is promised.

The Irish suffered eight hundred years under the British. But they endured.

Eventually, eventually the victory goes to the people who know how to endure. Eventually, eventually, those who have always had an easy life get tired of the struggle. They don’t have the stomach for it, the character to endure. They retreat to their islands and their yachts.

And so we have hope.

I hung my ribbon on the tree at Cill Eitlín and stated my prayer of intention.

Now I walk on. In hope.