Most Reverend Niall Coll, Catholic Bishop of Ossory.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus now, we also begin a Holy Year on Christmas Eve, called by Pope Francis, with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” This is an invitation for us all to think about the journey in life we are on and the hope we carry with us in the joys, and especially, in the difficulties we face in life. This Christmas here in Ireland, many of us are facing hard times. Some are struggling with housing and financial worries; some feel the weight of loneliness, uncertainty and the climate of meaninglessness that has mushroomed; others may be dealing with health problems, family concerns and the general pressures of daily life. The message of Christmas reminds us, however, of the central Christian conviction, that even in times of hardship, we are not alone. Jesus, born into humble circumstances, walks with us, offering a light in the darkness. Globally, we are confronted with growing and deepening divisions, the tragedy of war, famine, and climate disasters – all of which have left millions of people in poverty and despair, yearning for peace, justice and a better future. Last month I was one of a number of Irish bishops who paid a short visit to Ethiopia to see the work that Trócaire is undertaking there. Founded in 1973 by the Irish Bishops Conference in line with Pope Paul VI’s 1967 encyclical Populorum Progressio, Trócaire’s mission is to give concrete expression to the Church’s social vision of working to promote human dignity and development where it is most needed. Meeting so many people living in poverty and deeply scarred by a recent civil war in the Tigray Region in the north of the country was a most troubling, humbling and enlightening experience. In the midst of the ocean of suffering there, it was heartening to see examples of the projects that Trócaire is sponsoring to assist people to develop good, sustainable livelihoods, and thus create futures for themselves, their families and the wider community. In the face of challenges, and not just in the developing world, we can feel overwhelmed. But as pilgrims of hope, we are reminded that hope is not something distant or impossible — it is something we can bring into our everyday lives. We hold onto hope not because everything is perfect, but because we believe that, with God’s help, we can make a difference in our lives and in the world around us. Hope is the strength to keep moving forward, even when the road is difficult. As pilgrims, our journeys through life are not meant to be walked alone. We may stumble, we may grow weary, but we are always journeying together, lifting each other up, and drawing closer to God who is life and love. Pope Francis reminds us that Christian life is a journey that “calls for moments of greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as the constant companion that guides our steps towards the goal of our encounter with the Lord Jesus” (Spes non confundit, no. 5). May this Holy Year be one of these “moments of greater intensity,” when perhaps we experience in a real way the hope we have – grounded in a loving God who loved us so much that he gave us his only Son (John 3:16).
