WHAT IS THE JUBILEE YEAR?

“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.” - Deuteronomy 15:1-2

Jubilee means joy. In biblical times, a jubilee year was a time to rejoice. In the Catholic Church, a Jubilee or Holy Year is a sacred time of forgiveness and reconciliation, inviting people to restore their relationship with God, one another, and all of creation. While it had been originally celebrated every 50 years, it was changed in 1470 by Pope Paul II to every 25 years, to ensure that every person would experience a jubilee year at least once in their lifetime.

Where does the Jubilee Year come from?

“A Jubilee year was to be marked every 50 years, since this would be an “extra” year, one which would happen every seven weeks of seven years, i.e., every 49 years (Leviticus 25:8-13). it was intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.” - Catholic Australia

Jesus as the Ultimate Jubilee

"What Jesus is claiming is that the ultimate jubilee that the prophets pointed to has begun. Here it is. I’m doing it. It’s a massive claim." - The Bible Project

In Daniel 9, as Daniel prays for Israel, the angel Gabriel reveals a vision of Israel’s future, predicting the Messiah’s arrival within 490 years (seventy “weeks” of years or 70 x 7). This prophecy serves as a timeline for key events surrounding the coming of the ultimate jubilee in Jesus Christ. Jesus then announced his public ministry at a synagogue on the Sabbath by reading from Isaiah 61, which is a prophecy about a future time of jubilee. Through his crucifixion and resurrection, jesus performs the ultimate forgiveness of sin and thus fulfilling both Isaiah and Daniel’s prophecies.

What is a Plenary Indulgence?

Catholics are presented with the opportunity to gain indulgences during the Jubilee year, by making pilgrimages, prayerful visits to specific churches, or by practicing works of mercy during the holy year. A Plenary (meaning “full”) indulgence is the abolition of temporal punishment for forgiven sins, granted by the Church under certain conditions. To receive a plenary indulgence, one must be in a state of grace, confess sins, receive Communion and pray for the intentions of the holy father. Indulgences apply to oneself or the deceased.