With the blessing of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, we begin a special Jubilee Year to celebrate the 275th anniversary of San Fernando Cathedral. I pray that this holy year will be a season of spiritual renewal for our city and our church.

    San Fernando Cathedral has always been a place in which people have found God in his Word and through the sacraments. It has always been a place where people have unburdened their hearts, sought forgiveness for their sins, and healing of their souls. San Fernando has been a symbol of our communion as the people of God in the archdiocese.

    In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah declares a year of the Lord’s favor, “To proclaim liberty to the captives and release to prisoners…and to comfort all who mourn.” (Is 61:1-2) Let us celebrate this holy year by living it in a holy way so that we can be prepared to accept God’s great gift of his mercy.

    It is appropriate that we begin this pilgrimage during Lent, when the church reminds us to “turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel.” We are being called to enrich our lives by seeking pardon and forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” reminds us that “The whole of the Sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship.” Let us prepare for this Jubilee Year by repairing our “most precious friendship with God.”

    In a letter to the archdiocese, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, an official of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican, wrote that the Holy Father “encourages the clergy, religious and laity of the archdiocese to see in the renovation and renewal of this venerable edifice an invitation to dedicate themselves anew to the pursuit of holiness in fidelity to their baptismal calling.” During the Jubilee Year we can begin this renewal by making a pilgrimage to San Fernando Cathedral and by performing special acts of piety and faith.

    There will be many opportunities for us to come together during special celebrations throughout this holy year — times when we can pray and celebrate the Eucharist, “the heart and the summit of the church’s life” and our ultimate sign of unity. A pilgrimage to the Cathedral should reflect our personal decision to seek closer unity with the church and with God.

    The Jubilee Year should be marked by a profession of our faith. When we recite the Creed, let it be a reaffirmation that all we believe truly guides our life. When we pray to Mary, our blessed Mother, let it be a reminder that she stands ready to bring us to her son, with her gentle but firm words, “do as he tells you.”

    Pope John Paul II once said that “the starting point for understanding indulgences is the abundance of God’s mercy revealed in the cross of Christ.” During this holy year we should be signs of his mercy, and a blessing to those in need. In this Jubilee Year, we are given the grace to strengthen our charity and better cooperate with God’s grace. We are encouraged to visit the sick, the imprisoned and be present to those who are hurting and in need of God’s mercy.

    In my first pastoral letter, “To Grow in Knowledge and Love in Jesus Christ,” I wrote to you that faith is the basis for our life in Christ, and that formation in the faith is about getting to know Jesus better. When we understand more fully the teachings of the Gospel and church, we will discover a new enthusiasm based on the certainty of God’s love for us and our generous response to his love. As we grow in our knowledge of the faith, we will be strengthened through reflection on the sacred Scriptures, and the study of our faith through Catholic books and writings.

    I pray that we will walk this journey through this Jubilee Year together, as a Christian community, a family of faith, knowing that our Blessed Mother is at our side, always leading us to Jesus, helping us to foster a spirit of prayer and sacrifice in the name of Christ for the sake of all.