Pope Francis, in decreeing the celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025, arranged for the opening rite of this holy time in churches outside Rome to be held on the Sunday following Christmas, coinciding with the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 
Although at first glance this connection does not seem obvious, in reality the Jubilees have a profound relationship with the mystery of the Incarnation: the birth of the Son of God as man. Since the 6th century, with the adoption of the Christian reckoning of time, a new way of counting the years was established from the birth of Christ. It is therefore logical that the Jubilee years begin and end around Christmas.
The Jubilees have a profound relationship with the mystery of the Incarnation: the birth of the Son of God as man.
The first Christian Jubilee was celebrated in 1300. Initially, they were organized every century, but later their frequency was reduced to half a century and, at present, they are celebrated every 25 years. This allows a person to participate in two or three Jubilees in a lifetime, depending on his or her longevity.
Christian Jubilees have their antecedents in the holy years of Israel, which sought to balance social inequalities. During these years, debts were forgiven, slaves were freed and, in some cases, land was even returned to its original owners. These holy years were proclaimed by the sounding of a special horn, the yobelwhich gave rise to the term “jubilee”. Although in Spanish the word “jubilee” is similar to “júbilo”, its origins are different, although both concepts are linked, since jubilees also bring joy, hope and renewal.
With his resurrection, Christ conquers death: he transforms our death into a step towards eternal life, turning that “wall” into a “door” towards fullness in God.
In Christianity, Jubilees no longer aim to correct social inequalities, but to proclaim with greater intensity the salvation that Christ brought us with his birth. Every Jubilee is, above all, an invitation to turn our gaze to Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and Redeemer, the light that gives meaning and consistency to human life. Christ, in the first place, heals our freedom weakened by sin, strengthening our will to choose the good through his forgiveness and the grace of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, with his resurrection, Christ conquers death: he transforms our death into a step towards eternal life, turning that “wall” into a “door” towards fullness in God.
During the Jubilee, the Church exhorts us to perform three essential works: to go to confession to heal our freedom and liberate our past; to receive communion with the Body of Christ to strengthen our hope in him; and to pray for the Pope as an expression of communion with the universal Church. These practices, together with the plenary indulgence offered during the Jubilee, allow us to experience God’s love in fullness. The indulgence not only remits our faults, but also the spiritual consequences of our past actions, inviting us to walk towards Christ as our final goal.
“Hope does not fail, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
The pilgrimage, symbol of the spiritual journey, takes on a central role in the Jubilee. While physical walking often seeks exercise or distraction, in the Christian life walking means moving toward a transcendent destination: God. Our destination is heaven, and reaching this goal requires walking correctly on earth, with our daily actions and decisions oriented toward the good.
Pope Francis has convoked this Jubilee under the motto. “Hope does not disappoint”.taken from Romans 5:5: “Hope does not fail, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”. 
Christian hope impels us to live the present with our eyes fixed on God as our definitive future. This virtue fills us with confidence to face the uncertainties of life, with the certainty that God never abandons us. As St. Paul says: “Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Neither tribulations, nor persecutions, nor death itself can separate us from that love, unless we ourselves, by turning our backs on it, turn away from it.
Thus, this Jubilee is an invitation to turn our gaze towards Christ, to walk towards Him not only in the Jubilee pilgrimage, but in every step of our life. In him we will find fullness, hope and eternal joy.