God's Justice and the Jubilee

I became Catholic in the Jubilee Year of 2000 after serving as a United Methodist Pastor and Missionary for almost 10 years.  The year of my official embrace of the Catholic faith is a highly symbolic one for me. 

The origins of the Jubilee Year go back to the Hebrew people who observed a Sabbatical Year (Shmita) in the seventh year of their agricultural cycle.  In that year, the land was to lie fallow, no planting or harvesting.  Anything that grew in that year was open for anyone to take.  Another aspect of the Shmita was the forgiveness of debts and loans.  At the end of the year, any personal debts were to be forgiven.

The Jubilee Year was the last year after seven cycles of Shmita (the 50^th year). Additional regulations were observed during this year:  Slaves were to be set free and all land was to be returned to its original owner or owner’s family.

The theme of liberation is the heart of this law: the land is set free, people are freed of their debts, and slaves are released.

When Jesus began his ministry, he struck a similar tone:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."

Jesus brings the good news of the Jubilee to fulfillment in his very person.  He embodies what the Law asked his people to do—and as his followers we are called to embody this Jubilee life.

I became Catholic not simply because I embraced its doctrines.  I was inspired also by the witness of Catholics who personified the jubilation of Jesus: Oscar Romero, Dorothy Day, Mother Teresa, St. Francis and even personal friends of mine who showed me the vitality of Catholic mission in their own lives.

My hope and prayer is that as Catholics we make clear to the watching world that we are a Jubilee people who bring glad tidings to the poor and the oppressed.

Chuck Frost

Pastoral Associate

St. Andrew Catholic Church

Roanoke, VA