Jubilee of Prisoners
By John Graveline, Director of Parish Life
December 14, 2025
“[Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: ‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore, he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord.’”
–Luke 4:16-19
We are just a week and a half away from the crowning jewel of the Jubilee Year of Hope, the liturgical celebration of Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem 2025 years ago!
Over the past year, we have commemorated this anniversary through the various Jubilee Days highlighting various aspects of community, both within the Church and in civic society. The model of our Jubilee celebration comes from the beautiful Jewish concept of Jubilee as found in the Scriptures. Central to Jubilee is the forgiveness of debts and release of prisoners and slaves. Therefore, it is most fitting that as this Jubilee Year comes to its culmination, we celebrate the Jubilee of Prisoners this weekend.
Over the Thanksgiving break, my daughter and I watched the powerful movie Just Mercy on Netflix.
Based on real events, the movie centers on the work of Bryan Stevenson, the lawyer who founded the Equal Rights Institute, which works toward “ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.” In the movie, he worked toward saving the lives of inmates sentenced to the death penalty. Over the course of the film, it becomes apparent that one of the inmates was innocent of the crime for which he was sentenced to death. Other inmates had admitted to their crimes, but Bryan continued to try to save their lives because of his belief that “each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” The movie had a very Christian Pro-Life message.
The Jubilee that Jesus states that he was sent to proclaim includes liberty to captives and release of prisoners. While always compassionately keeping in our care the victims of violence and crime and always encouraging accountability, repentance, restitution, and penitential practices, Jesus calls us to never “give up” on prisoners, whether the punishment that they are suffering is justified or not. Even though those who have committed grave injustices have grievously wounded their victims and loved ones and warped their own character, they cannot destroy their own beloved status as an image of God, which is the basis of all human dignity. One of the purposes of criminal punishment is as “an instrument for the correction of the offender.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 403) As disciples of Jesus, we never lose faith in the power of conscience or lose hope for repentance, redemption, and rehabilitation. (Luke 23:39-43)
One example of what God can do though the gift of Grace is the conversion of Chuck Colson.
Colson had served as a key political advisor to President Nixon during the Watergate scandal. He has been described as “an evil man” and the President’s “hatchet man.” He is reported to have even suggested firebombing some of President Nixon’s enemies. He was the first member of the Nixon administration to be imprisoned for his part in the Watergate scandal. While serving his punishment in federal prison, he became a committed disciple of Jesus and became very involved in advocacy for better conditions for inmates and more effort toward facilitating prisoner rehabilitation. In 1976, he founded Prison Fellowship, which is now “the nation’s largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families.” He led this Prison Fellowship for 35 years, and President George W. Bush presented the Presidential Citizens Medal to him in 2008.
In preparation for this Jubilee Christmas, Assumption Parish was asked by the diocese to partner with Prison Fellowship to support their Angel Tree ministry.
Parishioners Paul and Sarah Sery stepped up to lead this initiative, and I am happy to report the enthusiastic response from parishioners. This Christmas, 10 local families (18 children) whose loved one is incarcerated this Holiday season will receive a Christmas gift from their loved one through your generosity. They will also receive a Bible appropriate to their age and a personal invitation to join our Advent and Christmas services (Lessons & Carols, Handel’s Messiah concert, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses, etc.). It’s not just about the material gift, but also the gift of inclusion in a community of faith that values them and their unique contribution. This is truly the work of Jubilee!
Finally, we always realize that Jesus’ Jubilee is first of all the promise of forgiveness and freedom from sin through the reconciliation of his Cross and Resurrection.
We celebrated a very moving Midland Area Catholic Community Communal Reconciliation service here at Assumption last Sunday afternoon, in which we gathered to “prepare the way of the Lord” by seeking the Grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is the most appropriate way to prepare our hearts for this Jubilee Christmas. We have one more opportunity for the Individual Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas, this Wednesday evening, December 17, 7:15-8:15 p.m. Other local parishes are also offering opportunities to receive this Sacrament as well. Also, the Cathedral in Saginaw is offering a final opportunity to receive a Jubilee indulgence this Tuesday evening at 7:00 when Bishop Gruss will preside at a Holy Hour for Vocations.
As we quickly approach this Jubilee Christmas, may Jesus—for whom there was no room in the inns of Bethlehem—find room in our hearts to do his Jubilee work of freedom, renewal, reconciliation, and healing in us and through us, so that his light of love and compassion may radiate from our parish to bring new life to our Larkin/Midland community! May you all have a blessed Jubilee Christmas!
John