“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

This word of Christ, this incredible prayer of love uttered in the midst of agony ought to inspire much in those who hear it: surprise, joy, confusion, wonder… Among the myriad possible responses we ought to find hope. Hope, as a theological virtue, is a gift given us by God. Like faith and love, hope operates at a supernatural level to draw us toward God and eternal life. Certainly, hope is something we can feel from time to time, though it is primarily defined not as a feeling, but as an ability, a virtue, something that enables us to act in a certain way.

In this case, the prayer of Jesus Christ ought to inspire the interior sense that all is not lost. To feel hope is to get the impression - sometimes clear, sometimes vague - that there is still a chance for a given situation to turn out well. To anyone who has striven to avoid sin for more than a few days, it should be obvious that the Christian way of life is difficult. It is only a matter of time before a Christian will face the temptation to despair, to give up, to accept that mediocrity or even outright failure is the only possible outcome of their life. When faced with that temptation, returning to the first of Jesus’ Seven Last Words can be an effective tactic.

To explain why, it will help to more clearly define the theological virtue of hope. As we just saw, a virtue is an ability. It is basically a good habit that, because you’ve practiced it over time, makes it possible to do things you would not otherwise be able to do. For example, someone who has the virtue of playing a musical instrument is someone who has spent the time practicing until they can easily produce the music they want. There are many kinds of virtue, but we mostly use that word to refer to moral virtues and the qualities of a person’s character. Prudence is the virtue of good decision making. It is developed over time by choosing to reject impulsive behavior, reflect on the situation, seek advice, and then carefully making a decision. Eventually, a person gets much better at making good decisions quickly and at knowing when a decision should not be made quickly. Prudence is a natural virtue, which means anyone can develop it with practice.

Unlike prudence, though, faith, hope, and love are supernatural virtues. They can only come from the grace of God. Once we’ve received that grace, we can cooperate with it to cause these virtues to grow. God can also give us more faith, hope, and love in response to prayer and our participation in the sacraments. Hope in particular is the virtue, the ability to desire heaven, to have confidence that we will receive it, and to be able to rely on God over and above our own strength. Everyone wants to be happy, but it takes hope to fully connect that idea of happiness with the promise of heaven. Everyone wants to be happy, but it takes hope to hold onto the belief that that happiness is actually possible. Everyone wants to be happy, but it takes hope to not give up on it when we realize we are not strong enough to actually obtain that happiness by ourselves.

It is that last part that most relates to Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness from the cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” By faith, we learn that God is real, that he loves us, and that real happiness can only be found in holiness. When we sincerely pursue holiness in response to that, we start to see more of our sinfulness. Our history is full of saints who saw themselves as great sinners. They weren’t lying. They weren’t giving in to false modesty. The closer you get to God, the more you start to see sins and weaknesses you didn’t know were there. The natural response to this is to despair, to give up because it’s impossible to perfectly see every sin, much less avoid all of them. But hope overcomes this. To exercise hope is to look honestly at that truth, to accept that we cannot be perfectly holy on our own, and to keep going because we know we aren’t on our own.

This prayer is part of the reason why. God forgives us even of the sins we do not see. We must repent of the sins we see. We must keep trying for greater holiness. But it’s not like God’s forgiveness comes after we figure it all out. Even while we’re still sinners, God already starts to make us holy, as long as we are at least trying to follow him. Many of the people who crucified Jesus really believed they were doing the right thing. They were very, very wrong. But Jesus himself asks the Father to forgive them even before they realized they were wrong. He will do the same with you because Jesus thought of you too when he prayed these words upon the cross.

Later this month, we will begin the Jubilee Year of 2025. The theme that Pope Francis chose for this special year of grace is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The point of this theme is that all Christians are “pilgrims” on the way to heaven. To be a pilgrim is to have hope. It is to know there is a destination, to set out on the way, and to have the confidence to keep heading towards that destination even when faced with difficulty. Jubilee years are always tied to pilgrimage. Special events held in Rome and throughout the world encourage Christians to take a journey as a tangible way of expressing their ongoing journey towards the kingdom of heaven. For those unable to travel to Rome or other major pilgrimage sites, there are local options. Every diocese has been asked to appoint local churches and shrines as pilgrimage sites. Going to one of these locations and praying there allows a person to receive the same special graces and indulgences as if they went to Rome. Why? Because God provides for what we lack. Just as people living 2000 years after the crucifixion have the same access to forgiveness as the crowds who personally heard Jesus pray the words “forgive them,” so those who cannot travel across the world have the same access to grace as those who can.

In the Diocese of Lafayette, Bishop Deshotel has designated five locations as local pilgrimage sites: The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette, St. Landry Church in Opelousas, St. Peter Church in New Iberia, St. Mary Magdalen Church in Abbeville, and the Carmelite Monastery in Lafayette. If you are able, please try to make a visit to one of these churches during the year 2025. While there, pray the Apostle’s creed, and Our Father, a Hail Mary, and  Glory Be for the Holy Father’s intentions. Attend Mass within a week of that time and go to confession within 20 days of that visit, and you’ll receive a plenary indulgence. Certainly, there are many ways to receive an indulgence, but doing so in the act of pilgrimage - even if it’s just a few miles away - can be a powerful reminder to ourselves that our whole lives are a pilgrim journey and that it’s okay if we haven’t “arrived” yet.

Indulgences, too, are signs of hope, reminders to us that God wipes away debts that we aren’t even aware of. God knows your weakness. He knows your sins better than you do. If you’re willing to accept his mercy, he forgives you the sins you don’t even recognize yet. If you’re willing to make use of what the Church offers, he can wipe out spiritual debts you don’t yet recognize. So do not be afraid! Do not be discouraged by your weaknesses, sins, and failings! Listen again to this prayer of Jesus Christ on the Cross, take heart, have hope, and carry on your way to the homeland he has made available to you.