Pilgrims of Hope: Strengthened by faith, guided by Christ, and transformed for the world

Dec 01, 2024

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for December, For Pilgrims of Hope, invites us to journey into the heart of this Jubilee Year with three crucial calls: to strengthen our faith, to recognise the Risen Christ in our daily lives, and to be transformed into true Pilgrims of Christian Hope.

This Jubilee Year is more than a celebration. It is a providential, spiritual, and communal opportunity to reimagine how we live as disciples of Christ. It asks us to examine our faith, our encounters with Christ, and our commitment to hope in a way that reshapes our lives and our world.

Strengthened by Faith
Faith, the first pillar of the Pope’s prayer intention, calls us into deeper trust and reliance on God. Faith is not merely belief but a dynamic relationship with the living God. I believe that it is a call to move beyond routine religious practices and rediscover a faith that transforms our hearts and communities. This call invites us to focus not on the pursuit of external piety but on fostering an interior conversion that leads us closer to Christ. As Pope Francis has often emphasised, faith is not static; it grows through prayer, sacramental life, and acts of love that embody God’s unconditional love and mercy in the world.

In the Malaysian context, strengthening our faith includes confronting the realities around us with a Gospel perspective. Poverty, inequality, and marginalisation are not abstract concepts; they touch the lives of many in our country. Faith that does not lead us to action risks becoming a sterile exercise. This Jubilee challenges us to ensure that our faith inspires and sustains efforts for justice, inclusion, and care for the least among us. These in turn strengthen our faith.
Recognising the Risen Christ in daily life

The second invitation of the Pope’s prayer intention is to recognise the Risen Christ in our daily lives. This recognition requires a spiritual vision that sees beyond appearances, discerning Christ’s presence in the poor, the suffering, and the marginalised.

In Malaysia, the face of Christ is visible in the urban poor, rural communities struggling for necessities, migrant workers, and refugees. Their struggles and resilience reveal the living Christ, who walks among us today. Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40 — “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of My family, you did it to Me.” — challenge us to seek Him not only in the Eucharist but also in the peripheries of our society.

The Latin American Bishops (CELAM) in the Aparecida Document (2007), drafted under the leadership of then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), highlight the evangelising role of the poor. The poor evangelise us by showing us the suffering face of Christ, reminding us that encountering Jesus in them is central to our faith. Defending their rights and recognising their dignity is essential for the Church’s faithfulness to Christ, for it is in friendship with the poor that we truly unite ourselves to Him. (Aparecida Document 257).

This Jubilee Year reminds us that true encounter with Christ is not one-sided. When we walk with the marginalised, listening to their stories and accompanying their struggles, we allow them to teach and transform us. Such encounters deepen our faith, widen our compassion, and bring us closer to the heart of the Gospel.

Recognising the Risen Christ also means seeing Him in the ordinary. Pope Francis often emphasises that Christ is present in our relationships, in acts of kindness, and in the beauty of creation. This Jubilee calls us to cultivate awareness of His presence in every moment, making each day a sacred pilgrimage.

Transformed into Pilgrims of Hope
The final aspect of the Pope’s prayer intention is the transformation into Pilgrims of Christian Hope. What does it mean to be such pilgrims? It means embracing hope as both a gift and a mission. Hope, as moral theologian Fr James Keenan SJ, explains, is God’s concrete interest in us, sustaining us in our darkest moments. It is not loud or overwhelming but gentle and steady — often when we are most exhausted or uncertain — a breath of the Spirit assuring us of God’s steadfast presence. It enables us to hold on, even amid the challenges of life.

To be a pilgrim of hope is to trust in this divine gift while actively working to bring hope to others. Pope Francis calls us to a hope that engages the world—a hope that feeds the hungry, welcomes the stranger, and heals the wounds of creation. Hope is not passive waiting but a commitment to building a future shaped by God’s love and justice.

This Jubilee Year invites us to rethink the pilgrimage itself. Traditional pilgrimages to sacred sites are valuable, but the Jubilee challenges us to expand our understanding. What if our most meaningful pilgrimages are to the peripheries — walking with the poor, accompanying the excluded, and standing in solidarity with the marginalised?

In Malaysia, such pilgrimages might include advocating for fair wages for migrant workers, supporting education for refugee children, or engaging in ecological stewardship in line with Laudato Si’. These journeys are not just acts of service but deep and meaningful encounters with Christ, who transforms us through our solidarity with the least of our brothers and sisters.

Fr Gustavo Gutiérrez, the father of liberation theology, reminds us that the poor are not merely recipients of our charity but active agents in God’s salvific plan. By journeying with them, we become participants in God’s work of liberation and transformation.

A Call to the Malaysian Church
For the Church in Malaysia, the Jubilee Year is a call to renewal. It asks us to move beyond superficial practices and embrace the transformative mission of Christ. Imagine pilgrimages that lead us not only to physical destinations but into solidarity with the poor. What if parishes prioritised outreach to marginalised communities’ over-elaborate devotional activities? What if dioceses organised pilgrimages of service, where the faithful accompanied the excluded and advocated for justice?

The Malaysian Church is also called to care for creation, recognising the interconnectedness of environmental degradation and human suffering. Our response to the ecological crisis in the form of an ecological pilgrimage of stewardship and care for creation will be a testament to our faith and hope, reflecting our commitment to the common good and future generations.

Hope for Today and Tomorrow
Hope is the thread that runs through the entire Jubilee Year. It is the trust that God’s Kingdom is breaking through, even amid adversity. It is the conviction that our small acts of love and justice contribute to the transformation of the world.

As Pilgrims of Hope, we are invited to walk together, drawing strength from one another and from God. In our families, workplaces, and communities, we are called to act with courage and compassion, building a future that reflects God’s love.

Pope Francis reminds us that hope is not just about waiting for a better future; it is about building it. This Jubilee Year is our opportunity to participate in this sacred work, walking together as disciples who listen, serve, and hope.

Conclusion
The Jubilee Year is a sacred journey — a pilgrimage not just to holy sites but to the heart of our faith. It calls us to strengthen our trust in God, recognise Christ in the faces of the marginalised, and be transformed by hope.

For the Malaysian Church, this is a call to act boldly: to centre the margins, walk with the poor, and care for creation. Let us answer this call, trusting that as we walk together in faith and hope, we draw closer to Christ and to the world He envisions.

(Fr Fabian Dicom is the National Office Director for Caritas Malaysia.)