Celebrating the New Year
My son's seventh grade religion teacher has her class working on a Jubilee Year project. Our son, Michael, proudly informed us that the Jubilee is a celebration of the Incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. His religion teacher had taught her class that the Catholic bishops of the United States have invited all Catholics to "proclaim Jesus Christ" during this Jubilee Year. They have also encouraged Catholics to celebrate the Eucharist often.

Michael's religion teacher also pointed out that Pope John Paul II has said in his Apostolic Letter (On the Coming of the Third Millennium), that the goal of the Jubilee Year is to give glory to the Trinity, from whom everything in the world and in history comes and to whom everything returns.

In the Bible, the year of the Jubilee is also described as a time for freeing slaves, for returning land to its rightful owner, and for forgiving debts. It is a time when we should pay special attention to the poor, the weak, and the suffering.

Michael has decided that for his project he is going to spend time on discovering who are the "slaves" of our time. Whose debts need to be forgiven? How can we pay more attention to the poor, the weak, and the suffering?

He and some of his friends from the religion class have made up three posters with these topics on them. I am very proud of my son and I can hardly wait to see what will be written on these posters.

Who are the "slaves" of our time?

Whose debts need to be forgiven?

How can we pay more attention to the poor, the weak, and the suffering?