Friday, October 3, 2025
First Friday of the Month of October
My sisters and brothers in the Lord,
Welcome to week forty of BMW, Be My Witnesses. As you probably know we are in a Holy Year proclaimed by Pope Francis; these often occur every 25 years. In addition, there are often special ones proclaimed in other years. A Holy Year usually involves a visit to the holy churches in Rome. But it is also a reminder that we belong to a Church, a People of God, who are always on pilgrimage.
Belong: Holy Year 2025 and Pilgrimage
I hate to drive. Yet, I have to do a lot of it. Still, there have been times when I wanted to do something fun, but because I did not feel like driving, I did not go. I did not let a spirit of adventure win out over just staying in place. The Letter to the Hebrews (13:14) invites me to get moving: “for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come.”
We have all heard the song, “We are a pilgrim people.” And, it is true. Our entire life is a journey and not a pointless one. We are heading to the Kingdom of God. We are doing this together as the Body of Christ, as the Church. When we actually make a physical pilgrimage, it is usually to some shrine. To make any real pilgrimage in our lives we have to listen for and heed the voice of God calling us forth. Yes, this requires a certain amount of adventuresomeness and a willingness to move.
There is also some actual content to our pilgrimage. Pope Francis has called 2025 a Holy Year and has given it the theme: “Pilgrims of Hope.” Since the year 1300, popes have generally called for Holy Years in Rome about every 25 years. In fact, there have often been additional Holy Years beside these quarter century markers.
The source for these periodic journeys to Rome and the tombs of Peter and Paul is often seen in Leviticus 25 (8-55), where the people were to have a Jubilee Year every 50 years, a sacred time of atonement, reconciliation, and the return of goods and property taken as security for a loan. Therefore, this pilgrimage of hope in 2025 is a time for all of us to make atonement, to seek reconciliation with one another, and to share with those in need. And why do we do this? Because we have hope in something much better than this life and we are ready to journey there.
My Weekly Challenge
Since this is a week during which we reflect on belonging to something bigger than ourselves, let our challenge be to visit another church. If we are able to go to Confession prior to this pilgrimage all the better and if we are able to attend Mass there an receive Holy Communion, we will have then taken in food for the journey, not just to that church, but to the Kingdom of God.
Until next week, may God Bless you.
+ Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing
P.S. Here is a video version of this week’s Be My Witnesses. Please do share with friends and family. Thank you.