The Theme of the Jubilee

The theme chosen for the Jubilee of St Charles of Mount Argus is taken from the Gospel according to St Matthew: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11: 28). The Jubilee is an invitation from the Lord to let ourselves be touched by his mercy and to experience the loving presence of Jesus Christ who came to heal the broken-hearted. When we make a pilgrimage to a holy place, it reminds us that we are never alone; God always walks by our side as we journey through life.

During his life, St Charles was always ready to reach out to those who were struggling with life or who were suffering physically, emotionally or spiritually. He reminds us that Jesus, who suffered out of love for us, never abandons us in our times of struggle. In one of his letters, he wrote: “Do not lose heart in your suffering, but think of the Passion of the Lord.”

In their letter requesting the Jubilee Year, the Passionist Provincials of Ireland and Scotland and of the Netherlands, Fathers James Sweeney and Mark-Robin Hoogland, wrote: ““In this time when so many lives have been touched by suffering due to the Coronavirus pandemic and its many consequences, the faith of Saint Charles in the healing power of God is an example to all who are in pain.”