Ave Explores

In this reflection from Opening the Holy Door, Joan Watson explains the meaning behind the panel that depicts the repentant woman who washes Jesus's feet with her hair.

For more insight into the meaning of this panel, get your copy of Opening the Holy Door at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/opening-the-holy-door.

To meditate on this, see Panel 8: The Necessity of Love at https://www.avemariapress.com/opening-the-holy-door.

For more insight into the meaning of this panel, get your copy of Opening the Holy Door at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/opening-the-holy-door.

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

Join Sr. Josephine Garrett, author of Wilderness Within, as she unpacks the virtue of hope and its transformative power. In this episode, Sr. Josephine reflects on how cultivating hope requires intentionality, patience, and radical trust in God’s promises. With the Jubilee Year of 2025 as a backdrop, discover how this sacred time invites us to assess and deepen our hope in the Lord, making it a guiding force in our daily lives.

A Word from Sr. Josephine:

I am pleased also to share that we have been granted by the Holy Father the special grace of a Jubilee indulgence for the entire year (from the First Sunday of Advent, December 1, 2024 until November 30, 2025). This plenary indulgence is both for all our Sisters who will pray in the private chapels of our communities, as well as for all those who, during this period, will join us in devotional and liturgical celebrations, particularly in the chapels of our convents, as well as through the recitation of the Prayer to the Holy Family:

O Holy Family, bless and protect all the families of the world.

We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends!

Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

In this exclusive conversation, Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See, Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, discusses the significance of the Jubilee year, not just for Catholics, but for all people who long for peace and justice. He reflects on the deep spiritual and global importance of the Jubilee, and shares insights into his journey to becoming a Vatican diplomat. Ambassador Habsburg also provides a glimpse into his daily work, explaining how world leaders and the Vatican engage on key issues.

Finally, he offers a powerful message on how we can each create a personal Jubilee within our hearts, with the hope of one day making a pilgrimage to Rome.

We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends!

Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

In this reflection from Opening the Holy Door, Joan Watson explains the meaning behind the panel that depicts the encounter of Jesus and Peter, after Peter's Denial.

For more insight into the meaning of this panel, get your copy of Opening the Holy Door at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/opening-the-holy-door.

To meditate on this, see Panel 10: Hope in the Face of Sin at https://www.avemariapress.com/opening-the-holy-door.

For more insight into the meaning of this panel, get your copy of Opening the Holy Door at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/opening-the-holy-door.

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

Art historian and professor Elizabeth Lev unveils the fascinating history of the Jubilee Holy Doors and reveals how Rome itself has been shaped by Jubilee celebrations over the centuries. As preparations for Jubilee 2025 unfold, Lev explores the city’s rich traditions and the monumental moments of past Jubilees. Discover how these events inspire us to adopt a pilgrim’s mindset, embracing the unexpected blessings and gifts of a Jubilee year.

We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends!

Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

In this reflection from Opening the Holy Door, Joan Watson explains the meaning behind the panel that depicts the Parable of the Good Shepherd.

For more insight into the meaning of this panel, get your copy of Opening the Holy Door at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/opening-the-holy-door.

To meditate on this, see Panel 12: The Hope of Being Found at https://www.avemariapress.com/opening-the-holy-door.

For more insight into the meaning of this panel, get your copy of Opening the Holy Door at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/opening-the-holy-door.

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

Join Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, as he unpacks Pope Francis’s bold calls to action for the Jubilee Year 2025. Discover how Catholics—and all people of goodwill—are invited to embrace the challenge to forgive debts, disarm violence, and advocate for human flourishing. Cardinal Czerny also reflects on the true meaning of the Church, not as a building or a place, but as the people of God united in living the gospel.

Learn how the holy doors of the Jubilee symbolize a deeper spiritual invitation—one that opens within our hearts, calling us to renewal and unity.

We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends!

Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

In this first reflection from Opening the Holy Door, Joan Watson explains the meaning behind the panel that depicts the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.

For more insight into the meaning of this panel, get your copy of Opening the Holy Door at https://www.avemariapress.com/products/opening-the-holy-door.

To meditate on this, see Panel 7: A Father's Heart at https://www.avemariapress.com/opening-the-holy-door.

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

Joan Watson, author of Opening the Holy Door, explores the rich history and purpose behind Jubilees in the Church, shedding light on the profound significance of opening the Holy Doors in Rome's four major basilicas. She offers practical advice on cultivating a pilgrim’s heart, embracing the mercy, hope, peace, and joy of the upcoming Jubilee Year. Joan also delves into the sacred imagery of the Holy Door, inviting us to reflect on how these symbols can uniquely inspire and move each of us on our spiritual journey.

We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends!

Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

Links:

• Get Your Copy of Opening the Holy Door by Joan Watson

The Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 began December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica. For the next five weeks, _Ave Explores _will look at how an Ordinary Jubilee is a chance for hope, repentance, renewal, and revival in the Church.

Spes non confundit - Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025 (9 May 2024)(https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/20240509_spes-non-confundit_bolla-giubileo2025.html)

LVIII World Day of Peace 2025 - “Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace” (https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/20241208-messaggio-58giornatamondiale-pace2025.html)

We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends!

Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)