As baptized Christians, we are a people constantly on the move. We are a pilgrim people with a common destination—our heavenly home. And we have a detailed roadmap to follow on our pilgrim journey—the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

By following in his footsteps, we find meaning and direction in our lives. By encountering Jesus in prayer and the sacraments, especially the holy Eucharist, and by living as Jesus instructed us to live—serving others without hesitation—we experience freedom and happiness as his sisters and brothers and we never have to be frightened, lonely or confused about who we are or where we are going.

Our journey does not “dead end” at death. Instead, we believe that, God willing, we will continue to walk with Jesus, Mary and all the saints through the joy of our heavenly home. The mission that those who have been baptized into the death of Christ have received is to be stewards of hope who proclaim joyfully the Good News of our salvation in him.

For those of us who are committed to the spirituality of stewardship, our light should shine brightly and our hope should always be confident. This may at times seems like a burden, but that’s why we look to the image of the crucified Christ on the cross. When we can participate in his suffering, our own burdens seem light. And when we see in his eyes the love and compassion that he has for us, we can carry our own crosses without self-pity or regret.

In his apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis urged all of us to be witnesses to the joy that comes from a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer. In fact, he specifically warned us not to be “sourpusses,” people whose hearts are hard and who are cold and indifferent to the needs of others. Pope Leo XIV

has confirmed his predecessor’s commitment to sharing the joy of the Gospel in every dimension of his petrine ministry.

In his autobiography Hope, Pope Francis speaks often about the need for tenderness and compassion in our relationships with the people we meet—those who are closest to us and those who are strangers. This compassionate approach to daily living is especially evident in Pope Francis’ description of his relationship to his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Francis writes:

Benedict was a father and a brother to me. Our relationship was always genuine and deep, and regardless of a few tales that were made up by those who were determined to tell the opposite story until the very end, he helped, advised, supported, and defended me. …

Even in his last days, when his body was increasingly frail and his voice increasingly feeble, I could feel the force of his tenderness. We met for the last time on Dec. 28, 2022, three days before he died. He was still conscious but unable to speak. We remained there looking at each other and holding hands. I spoke words of affection. I blessed him, his bright eyes gleamed with the same sweetness and intelligence as always. The intelligence of one who has witnessed how God is always new, surprises us, brings news. I thank the Lord for having presented him to me and to the Church.

Here we see two different popes humbly and tenderly giving witness to the joy that unites them in Christ, the Divine Redeemer. Especially as this scene is described by Pope Francis, we can also see that there is nothing calculated or superficial about the witness that we are called to give as we wait for death, which is not the end, but a wonderful new beginning in a journey that is “always new” and full of surprises.

By inviting us to see ourselves as hope-filled pilgrims on a wonderful spiritual journey, the Church reminds us that none of us is alone in facing the challenges of daily living. We are all members of God’s family who travel together on a journey of light and hope. Only the light of Christ can make our life clear and bright. Only Christ can give us lasting hope.

During Advent, we are called to be stewards of hope who wait for the Lord’s promises to be fulfilled in our personal lives and in our world. And we are privileged to be prophetic witnesses to the joy promised us—now and in our heavenly home.

—Daniel Conway