A Panorama of Joy

A Panorama of Joy

A Panorama of Joy

Jubilee Preaching Aid for November 16, 2025

In the reading from Trito-Isaiah, a panorama of joy extends before us. God is acting alone, and it is emphasized that the creation of new heavens and a new earth is happening now: God is completely transforming the cosmos.[i] Israel, a puny little nation compared to the other great kingdoms of the times, is crying and Yahweh is not indifferent to Israel’s lament.

Psalm 98 is an enthronement hymn, similar to Psalm 96. God’s people are called to praise Yahweh for the saving deeds on Israel’s behalf. It is a call to all humanity to join in the joyful worship of Yahweh in the Temple, and it is a call to all creation to acknowledge Yahweh’s rule. The focus here is the saving acts God has already performed for the house of Israel.[ii]

In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul teaches about disorderly conduct in the church. Those to whom Paul addressed this letter were not following the apostolic example, which is the practical norm of the tradition. The disorderly were not only failing to model themselves after the apostolic example of working, but they were also interfering with the lives of the others in the community.[iii]

Luke’s gospel speaks of the consequences for Jerusalem for not heeding God’s prophet. Jesus envisions the destruction of the Temple, of Jerusalem, and eventually of the entire world. Just as Jesus was rejected and vindicated, the disciples will be persecuted, but Jesus will strengthen his disciples as they experience the suffering to come.

The Jubilee 2025 campaign is focused on the lives of people in the Global South. When their countries are hit by severe climate events, their governments are often forced to borrow money for to build or repair infrastructure. The governments of poorer nations then struggle to pay off these loans, creating a vicious cycle of debt repayment that keeps those governments’ finances tied up with high interest payments instead of investing for future sustainability.

Neocolonial measures like these make it difficult, if not impossible, for Global South countries to use their resources for climate mitigation. Sometimes these nations will be forced to repay the original principle on the loan many times over. Then, when the next climate emergency happens, they are forced to appeal for more financial assistance. The sin of the situation is that the countries most affected by the climate emergencies

are the countries who are not contributing to the warming of the planet. God listens to the cries of these people.

The first two readings of today give reason for hope and joy. God takes the side of the poor and vulnerable, and we are called to follow God’s example and Jesus’ example in the ways we live and show love to those at risk. November 16, 2025, is the World Day of the Poor – a day to remember the many ways that peoples’ lives can become impoverished in our world. We must also remember that there is enough sustenance on the planet for everyone to live without insecurity, but there are forces at work that deliver inequitable distribution. As in the ancient days, this year’s call to Jubilee is a time for re-balance.

In Jubilee, what God wants is a cancellation of debt. God wants the land to rest and recover from its production. God wants people to be relieved from burdens that are not theirs to carry. Canada and the other G7 countries need to pay their FAIR SHARE of the climate debt that they owe the countries of the Global South. We are the ones burning fossil fuels and resisting the change to renewable energy sources.

Canada and the other G7 nations are the ones who control the global markets and who demand austerity measures for poor, indebted countries. These poor countries are like Israel in the reading from Isaiah. Today, the disorderly ones about whom Paul speaks are the companies/banks/financial institutes who are interfering with the lives of those in the global community by charging high rates of interest when countries are clearly not able to sustain the imbalance of power.

Jesus said that he would return at the end of time and hold us all accountable for how we worked to alleviate the struggle of the poor. Jubilee is a time of KAIROS, a time for balance to be restored. It is within the human capacity to see enough is enough. I can imagine how the people rejoiced in 2000, when the debts of the 36 poorest countries were cancelled. It is time to do this again!

Pat Carter, a Sister of St. Joseph, a disciple, and an advocate for the poor.