JUBILEE YEAR: A TIME FOR LISTENING AND HOPE

On the celebration of National Seafarers’ Day, we make the antiphon of the Responsorial Psalm our own: “Praise the Lord, my soul!” On 23 September 1997, President Fidel Ramos issued Proclamation Order No. 1094, mandating that the Apostleship of the Sea (now known as Stella Maris), in cooperation with the Shipping and Ports Advisory Council and the private sector through the Maritime League, plan activities related to the celebration.

The great majority of seafarers are in their thirties, the prime age for accomplishing goals and objectives they set for themselves and their families. In the Bible, the number 30 and the age of 30 are significant, often marking a period of maturity, initiative, and divine appointment. Joseph was 30 years old when he became second in command to Pharaoh after being imprisoned as a slave in Egypt (Gn 41:46). David was 30 when he became king (2 Sm 5:4). More importantly, Jesus officially began His ministry at age 30 (Lk 3:23).

In today’s Gospel parable, we are not told how old the rich man (often called Dives, Latin for “rich”) and Lazarus were. Dives might have been at the prime of his life, in good health, and enjoying the good things of the world, while Lazarus might not have been too old, but weak and covered with sores. Yet both died and received judgment in the afterlife. The parable presents them in direct contrast, both in their daily lives and in eternity. Jesus clearly issues a challenge to those who have never cared for the “Lazarus” in their lives: “They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them! … If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.” The keyword here is “listening.” If we listen, then we care. Listening is the turning point in our lives; it is the way to start something new. Listening is the only way to be persuaded to care for the “Lazari” we encounter—whether along the road or right at our doors.

In the First Reading, the prophet Amos castigates the rich and the complacent in Zion (Jerusalem), dulled by their drinks and parties, unmindful of the collapse of Joseph (the northern kingdom of Israel). Their unconcern for others would merit divine punishment, just like the rich man in the Gospel. They should have instead pursued the way of righteousness—what Paul highlights in the Second Reading: faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

The Jubilee Year 2025 marks us as “pilgrims of Hope.” It is a unique opportunity to learn how to listen to the Lord in prayer and to walk in synodality with others, listening with the “ears of the heart.” We should include seafarers and their families in our prayers and in our listening, sharing our hope in Christ who died for us even while we were in sin. Let us thank the seafarers, remembering that 90 percent of the goods in the world are transported by sea. We should also pray for migrants and people on the move. As some countries turn inward and less hospitable, their situation becomes increasingly difficult and precarious. May the words of Jesus touch human hearts: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me!” (Mt 25:35).

This Jubilee Year, we ask the Lord to deliver us from every evil and keep us safe from all distress “as we await the blessed Hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” We pray especially for Filipino seafarers and migrants all over the world, that they may hold on to the hope that does not disappoint, because God, in Jesus, has poured His love into our hearts (Rom 5:5).