The following is the Homily delivered by Most Rev. Robert M. Coerver, Bishop of Lubbock, at Christ the King Cathedral in Lubbock on The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for the Opening of the Jubilee Year, December 29, 2024.

I must say I am absolutely blown away at the number of people who are here this afternoon. It's a testimony to your faith and your love, and you are signs of hope.

My brothers and sisters we gather today observing the liturgical celebration of the Holy Family of Jesus Mary and Joseph.

Family — Jesus was part of one. Jesus was part of one – “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; …”

Family – The plan of creation for the normal course included it. Family – The absence of it is seriously damaging our society and even our Church.

But we gather in special celebration as a diocesan Church, called together by the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis to celebrate with the Universal Church the formal opening of the Jubilee Year 2025.

There is a Christian marriage movement which has statistics that draw a connection between healthy and holy marriage and increase in Church participation and involvement. Family.

But we gather in special celebration as a diocesan Church, called together by the Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis to celebrate with the Universal Church the formal opening of the Jubilee Year 2025.

We have come here as Pilgrims of Hope – the theme of the Jubilee.

Pilgrims preparing to begin our journey through the new calendar year 2025.

We are pilgrims on our diocesan journey into the middle of the Twenty-first Century.

We are pilgrims within the social unit of family – a unit made sacred by the example of the Holy Family and by the migration of divinity into humanity in the Incarnation of the Divine Word into our human nature, the Incarnation celebrated in this Christmas Season.

Pope Francis has established hope as the central message of this Jubilee pilgrimage we are embarking upon, and he has encouraged us as pilgrims of hope to give special attention to what he has set forth as signs of hope:

To be instruments of peace in a world which he describes as “immersed in the tragedy of war”

To be open to life and to exercise responsible parenthood which he has described as “the design that the Creator has implanted in the hearts and bodies of men and women”

To be messengers of hope for those who find themselves imprisoned – an active ministry exercised by Deacons and Priests of the Diocese, and an area of special concern for the Bishops of Texas as we strive to bring an end to capital punishment in our state and in the nation

Pope Francis also says that “Signs of hope should also be shown to the sick, at home or in hospital. Their sufferings can be allayed by the closeness and affection of those who visit them.”

As you know, ministry to the young is of highest priority for us in the Diocese of Lubbock – a priority realized in the opening of our Guadalupe Youth and Family Center just a couple of months ago and currently undergoing furnishing and further development even as programs are starting there.

The Pope also tells us, “Signs of hope are also needed by those who are the very embodiment of hope, the young.”

As you know, ministry to the young is of highest priority for us in the Diocese of Lubbock – a priority realized in the opening of our Guadalupe Youth and Family Center just a couple of months ago and currently undergoing furnishing and further development even as programs are starting there.

The Holy Father also says, “Signs of hope should also be present for migrants [and exiles] who leave their homelands behind in search of a better life for themselves and for their families.”

My friends, our own Catholic Charities is equipping itself, supported by the USCCB, to respond as a part of the Lubbock Christian community when mass deportation efforts begin.

We need to be signs of hope to the elderly – to us elderly – could our youth and family center along with Catholic Charities shine as beacons of hope to those of us who are now among the elderly? – and of course Pope Francis is always talking about the essential role which grandparents can play as themselves being signs of hope within our family units.

Signs of hope set forth by Pope Francis, and as a diocesan Church we are on pilgrimage to being even more effectively signs of hope within our local communities.

And our action on behalf of the poor must be a sign of hope to them, which is why Catholic Charities of Diocese of Lubbock is partnering with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to broaden the scope of assistance the Catholic community provides to the poor in the territory of the Diocese of Lubbock.

Signs of hope set forth by Pope Francis, and as a diocesan Church we are on pilgrimage to being even more effectively signs of hope within our local communities.

HOPE.

We need hope.

Hope begets hope. We are called to be people of hope.

We grow in hope by embracing interdependency and connectedness, leaning on each other when we falter and offering a hand when we see the need.

Our hope is not rooted in some fleeting optimism but in the enduring truths of our faith grounded in the Gospels, which teach boundless love and the core belief that darkness does not have the last word.

As Pilgrims of Hope, we are constantly being formed into the image of the Christ who has come and dwells within us and around us. We must recognize that our wounds can become sources of healing for others.

As Pilgrims of Hope, we are constantly being formed into the image of the Christ who has come and dwells within us and around us. We must recognize that our wounds can become sources of healing for others.

Our physical, emotional or spiritual wounds are part of what makes us human.

Rather than hiding these wounds, we can embrace them, allowing our vulnerabilities to connect us more deeply with those around us.

Jesus himself is the ultimate example of a wounded healer. His suffering and sacrifice brought love, hope and healing to a broken world.

In following his example, we are invited to transform our own uncertainty, anger, pain and disappointment into greater solidarity, compassion and action for others.

Our mission, though not new, has become increasingly urgent.

We must speak the truth, live with integrity, reach out to those in need, build and preserve just structures, and stand up to our oppressors.

We must speak the truth, live with integrity, reach out to those in need, build and preserve just structures, and stand up to our oppressors.

Hope is not a mere feeling.

Hope is a choice we make every day.

When we choose hope, we embody the essence of our Christian calling — a calling to be agents of change and witnesses of the love our world and our nation so desperately needs, now more than ever.

My brothers and sisters, WE ARE PILGRIMS OF HOPE.

In the Bull in which Pope Francis convoked this Jubilee Year, he reminded us, “Pilgrimage is of course a fundamental element of every Jubilee event. Setting out on a journey is traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life.

“A pilgrimage on foot is a great aid for rediscovering the value of silence, effort and simplicity of life.

“In the coming year, pilgrims of hope will surely travel the ancient and more modern routes in order to experience the Jubilee to the full” – I am even co-sponsoring a Pilgrimage to Rome in June with my dear friend Father Don Zeiler a priest of the Diocese of Dallas and spiritual director at Holy Trinity Seminary, who happens to be with us today.

But local Churches – diocesan Churches – have also been asked to establish Pilgrimage Churches, and after consultation, we have established five such churches in the Diocese of Lubbock – our cathedral and one church in each deanery:

• The Cathedral, as the mother church of the entire diocese;
• St. John Church in Hermleigh, the first parish established in the territory of the Diocese of Lubbock, a connection with our historical past;
• St. Clare Church in Lubbock, a parish on pilgrimage of combining two parishes into one new parish;
• St. Ann Church in Morton, a community which is starting to see signs of revival, a revival which will be symbolized by some renovation to be undertaken of the parish’s worship space;
• And Immaculate Conception Church in Muleshoe, a community in need of hope which can become a sign of hope as that community and we as a diocesan community struggle to rebuild their church severely damaged by fire three years ago.

I leave it to the creativity of the Faithful of our diocese and their pastors and our deans and deanery structures to sponsor pilgrimages of whatever sort and to observe the Jubilee Year in ways specific to your respective rhythms of life.

Pope Francis concludes his document convoking the Jubilee Year with these profound words:

“The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God.

“May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation.

“May the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth, where men and women will dwell in justice and harmony, in joyful expectation of the fulfilment of the Lord’s promises.

“Let us even now be drawn to this hope!

“Through our witness, may hope spread to all those who anxiously seek it.

“May the way we live our lives say to them in so many words:

“’Hope in the Lord! “’Hold firm, take heart and hope in the Lord!’

“May the power of hope fill our days, as we await with confidence the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and glory, now and forever.”

My brothers and sisters that is The Coming we celebrate during this season – The Coming in which we share at this altar.