1. The Holy Father has invited us to do so.

   For John Paul II, the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 is an extraordinary event in the life of the Church and the world. He asks us to “do as much as possible to ensure that the great challenge of the year 2000 is not overlooked, for this challenge certainly involves a special grace of the Lord for the Church and for the whole of humanity”.

2. As a jubilee year, it is, “a year of favor from the Lord” an opportunity to start anew.

   A Holy Year is held to encourage holiness of life through repentance and conversion, works of charity, and participation in community. Today, in contemporary society, we especially sense a need for healing and reconciliation where we have the opportunity to begin anew and to acknowledge, as an act of honesty and courage, the weaknesses of our past.

3. Since a new millennium only comes once every thousand years it is a unique moment in history that calls for an engaging message of faith. One in every fifty generations experiences the change of a millennium. If we believe these years to be a unique time in history, we must also believe that the “presence of the Holy Spirit will be more deeply experienced, impelling Christians to preach the Gospel with new power, giving hope of liberation to the marginalized and the oppressed” (Avery Dulles, “John Paul II and the Advent of the New Millennium,” America 173:19 [1995], 10-11).

4. We celebrate 2000 years of Christianity. The “two thousand years which have passed since the birth of Christ (prescinding from the question of its precise chronology) represent an extraordinarily great jubilee, not only for Christians but indirectly for the whole of humanity”.

5. It can be a moment to re-energize ourselves and celebrate the good that is already present in our lives, our Church, and in society. Through its members, the Church does wonderful work throughout the world. There are many excellent examples of this, including initiatives such as small Christian communities and faith sharing groups; the catechumenate; the renewal of liturgical life; social action initiatives that work to feed the poor, care for the homeless, and advocate for the sanctity of life and for justice and peace; a renewed interest in spirituality; the participation of the laity, especially women, in many and varied roles in church and civic life; the formation of youth; and the continuing dialogue among Christians and with those of other faiths. Other examples include the richness in our diversity, the witness of faithful men and women in the workplace, the wonderful sense of compassion and commitment present within so many people.

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