Jesuit Journeys
Winter 2000

Now that the calendar has turned and the Great Jubilee 2000 is upon us, those expecting a suddenly transformed world are perhaps a little disappointed.Don't be.
The Great Jubilee 2000 does not mark the beginning of a transformed world. It marks the hopeful beginning of a transformation in which we all must play a role if God's plan is to take effect. What is the plan? The answer is as uncertain as these rapidly changing times in which we live.
The past 1,000 years fostered incredible changes in our world. Over the past 50 years, the rate at which these changes occurred became almost overwhelming. For the past 25 of these years, with the advancement of computer technology, the rate of change accelerated all the more.
To be sure, many of the changes and events have been discouragingly negative. AIDS, political injustice, wars of ethnic cleansing, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, acts of terrorism - some of these things we have control over; others we do not.
Encouraging amid this whirlwind is that, be it good or bad, we have shown ourselves to be capable of creating rapid change. The choice is ours whether we make the changes for the better. And that, from my perspective, is what the challenge of the Great Jubilee 2000 is all about.
The Jubilee Year (or Holy Year as it is also called) is not new to Roman Catholic tradition. Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the first Holy Year in 1300. Recent tradition has seen a Holy Year proclaimed every 25 years. Pope Paul VI called the last ordinary Jubilee in 1975 with two main themes: renewal and reconciliation.
Fundamentally, the Great Jubilee 2000 is the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus and the incarnation of God becoming man. This makes it especially significant.
By proclaiming a Jubilee Year, the Church provides us opportunities for forgiveness, evangelization, and reconciliation. For example, leaders of wealthier nations are urged to forgive the debts of Third World nations, thus establishing a basis for others to share more equitably in the fruits of God's creation.

We are capable of creating rapid change. The choice is ours whether we make the changes for the better. And that, from my perspective, is what the challenge of the Great Jubilee 2000 is all about.

Our part in God's larger plan begins on a personal level, a call to holiness - to celebrate the incarnation of Christ not only in human history but also in our own lives. Reconciliation and forgiveness are possible because He has gone before us. We must be open to our part in God's plan and follow Christ's example of compassion and sacrifice.
We can begin by praying with the true sense of faith that our prayers are heard and effective. In our prayers of petition we ask not only for things for ourselves, but especially, and in great faith and as a favor from God, we ask for peace in the world and reconciliation between people of every nation - including Christians and Muslims, Christians and Jews, and in various parts of the world, such as Northern Ireland, between Christians themselves.
At the same time, we must work in concert with the Holy Spirit because the plan of salvation for the world is a plan that is known in the mind of God alone.
While we don't know the details of God's plan, we do know it will work itself out in some way or other depending upon our involvement and the choices we make. So when I as a priest, or any Christian as a lay person, reaches out and touches the life of another with love, this is Christ himself touching that person.
Clearly, the Society of Jesus takes part in this process through our apostolic works, and our Jesuit Partners intimately share in our accomplishments. As president of the Jesuit Partnership, I thank all of you who have supported us with prayers and financial support. May we all move forward in this new millennium with renewed hope and confidence because God sent his son to be with us until the end of the age.

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