What is a Jubilee?
The Jubilee Year marks a year called for conversion and forgiveness. It is also referred to as a Holy Year, which, from its beginning to its end, is enriched with sacred rites intended to inspire in us a thirst to live holiness in the ordinary aspects of life.
The Origin of Christian Jubilee
The roots of this event are of Jewish origin. The word itself comes from ‘Yobel,’ which means ‘the ram’s horn’ used to mark the beginning of the Jewish festival, Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). According to Scripture, the Jubilee Year was celebrated every 50 years (Leviticus 25:8-13). It was a year of rest aimed at strengthening the fields, returning held lands, and freeing the slaves.
Christian Influence
The first Jubilee, or ‘Holy Year’ was launched by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300 as a time to allow God to transform us in holiness. Initially occurring every 100 years, the Jubilee year was reduced to every 50 years by Pope Clement VI and every 25 years by Pope Paul II. Pope Pius XI also chose to commemorate the 1900th anniversary of the Redemption by calling it an ‘extraordinary’ Holy Year. Pope Francis marked the most recent extraordinary Holy Year proclaiming 2016 as the Year of Mercy.
What happens in a Jubilee?
The Jubilee Year lasts an entire year, enriched with various events. It begins on Christmas Eve with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Upon arriving at the door, the phrase ‘This is the door of the Lord; open for me the door of righteousness’ is recited in Latin. Then, in a symbolic gesture, the door is pushed open by hand, followed by a moment of prayer at the entrance of the same door. It is this moment that officially inaugurates the Holy Year.
The opening of the Holy Door during the Jubilee symbolises the passage every Christian must make on a journey toward grace. But without a doubt, for us Christians, the Holy Door represents Christ. It reminds us of the words of Jesus Himself, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep.’ (John 10:7).
In the following days, this same ritual takes place at the other three major basilicas in Rome: St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. These doors remain open until the end of the Jubilee, on the Epiphany of the following year.