By Bishop James Conley
As Christmas quickly approaches, and these days of Advent reach their climax, we will soon celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In these last days of Advent, our hearts are filled with joyful expectation at the coming celebration, knowing that the birth of Jesus two thousand years ago, was the beginning of God’s redeeming work among his people. We are now making our final preparations to celebrate his first coming once again, following the bright star to the humble stable in Bethlehem.
We are also mindful that the great Jubilee year of 2025 is coming to a close. When he proclaimed this holy year, Pope Francis declared that its theme would be “Pilgrims of Hope.” We have tried to keep this theme in mind over these past 12 months, knowing that we are indeed pilgrims; we do not have a lasting home here on earth. We are only passing through, journeying forward toward our Lord and our eternal homeland of heaven.
In the last months before he died, Pope Francis drew our attention to the words of St. Paul who reminds us, “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). Our hope is grounded in Jesus Christ, our sure foundation and promise of eternal life. We are not pilgrims who walk aimlessly through this world, not knowing our way. Our Lord has gone before us in time and in history, showing us the way through his life, death and resurrection.
We have also concluded our 12-month “Pilgrimage of Truth, Goodness and Beauty: A Humanities Syllabus.” It has a been a joy for me to walk with you through the great achievements of our cultural patrimony. We have looked at celebrated works of literature, art, poetry, music and film, under selected themes that follow the seasons, both in nature and through the calendar of the liturgical year. When we immerse ourselves into the humanities, “the best that has been thought and said,” in the words of the English poet Matthew Arnold, we come to know ourselves and those around us in a more profound way.
The humanities teach us about humanity – both our own humanity and the humanity of our neighbor. The humanities also teach us, in the words of scholar Joseph Pearce, “that the human person is a homo viator, a pilgrim or wayfarer who journeys through mortal life with eternal life always in mind.” And all of this opens the soul to the eternal, to the permanent things. But along the way we make friends, fellow travelers, who lean on us and upon whom we can lean, as we make our pilgrim way. Friendships emerge organically, friendships built on the themes and ideals of the rich treasury of western civilization.
The pilgrim should rhyme with Mother Goose, adventure into Narnia and Middle-earth, lift his or her spirits with Bach and Mozart, explore the complexities of life with Shakespeare, soar into the sacramental vision of Michelangelo, and be touched by the charm and goodness of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” As much as possible, the imagination should be populated with noble and virtuous characters, filled with vivid landscapes, and occupied with delightful thoughts.
Exposure to the humanities, the struggles and triumphs of those who have gone before us, can help us get through the ups and downs of life, the peaks and the valleys, the trials and tribulations of this world. It was no secret that the great statesman Sir Winston Churchill suffered from depression at times during his long and illustrious life, particularly during that time between the two world wars. He called it the “black dog” that hounded him throughout his life.
It was during one of these dark times that Churchill took up the art of painting. He writes about this period of his life in a little book entitled “Painting as a Pastime.” As a world leader totally immersed in the burdens of global politics, national policy and the sociocultural demands of the day, Churchill knew that it was hard to keep up with his own personal reading, study and reflection. I think we can all relate to that. I know I can.
Pondering his vast library of books, he mused that “if the great books cannot be your friends, let them at least be your acquaintances. If they cannot enter the circle of your life, do not deny them at least a nod of recognition.” In other words, we should at least be familiar with the contributions to the humanities to be a truly educated person.
When we encounter truth, goodness and beauty, through books, poetry, music, art and film, it takes us out of ourselves, out of our own heads, reminding us that we are part of something larger and much grander than our own thoughts and worries. It is my hope and prayer that this humanities syllabus will inspire you to dive deeper into the richness of our cultural heritage.
I am excited to share with you that I have signed a contract with Bishop Robert Barron and the folks at Word on Fire Books to publish “A Pilgrimage of Truth, Goodness and Beauty: A Humanities Syllabus.” Dr. Jarred Staudt, Ph.D, director of content for Exodus 90, and my principal researcher and collaborator for the humanities syllabus, will be my co-author on this project. The book will be released in October of 2026.
As pilgrims of hope, let us prepare to welcome Christ the Lord into our hearts, our homes and into our world this Christmas. It is because God took on human flesh and was born of woman that humanity is forever changed and “the world is charged with the grandeur of God.”
As we walk together during these final days of Advent, and finally arrive at the manger as poor pilgrims, we ask the Lord to fill our hearts and our minds with wonder and gratitude at the gift of the savior. May the hope that never disappoints fill you and your loved ones with joy this Christmas. And may the divinity of our Lord, shining through his humanity draw us ever more deeply into the love that knows no end.
