EMBRACING NEW THINGS

READINGS: FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

In the second reading of this 5th Sunday of Easter, (Revelation 21:1-5a), we read, “The former heaven and the former earth had passed away” and “The One who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

Life, is an interesting mixture of beginnings, endings, and new beginnings—when we come into this world, when we move away from home, when we get married, when we have a baby, when we become a mother or a father, when all the children leave home, when a spouse, a parent, a child, or a sibling passes on, when we get a new job, when we go away to college—all are experiences of endings and new beginnings. Ours is to choose either to live with the moment or to live in the past. 

It is not easy to embrace new beginnings; the new thing God is doing in our lives because new beginnings can be very challenging, full of uncertainties, and highly unpredictable. It is easy to get trapped in old ways and in the old world we are accustomed to and so resist the invitation to grow. There was an artist who produced beautiful artwork and admired it every day. One day, his master poured crude paint all over it. The artist was livid, and when he eventually found out that it was his master who had done it, he inquired of him, “Why? Why did you do it?” to which his master responded, “Because you have become so focused on it that it was retarding your growth and creativity. Go and paint something better than that”. My friends, we stop succeeding when we say we have succeeded and become comfortable and complacent to do anything more. There is always room for growth in the different aspects of our lives, be it as a man, father, husband, woman, wife, mother, brother, sister, professional etc. Adventure and growth make for an interesting living.

New beginnings require putting off the old self and putting on a new self. It requires taking new perspectives on things, new ways of looking at and dealing with people, new ways of perceiving and understanding reality, and a new look at the self while speaking truth to conscience. 

As Christians, part of experiencing the new thing God is doing is to become the hand of God in making things anew in the lives of others. We can do this by invite others to the new life in Christ, to renew their love for Jesus, commit our time, talent, and treasure, to the growth of the Church. This is our call, our vocation, our mission, and what God expects of us. We cannot leave it to anyone else; we simply ought to embrace it with joy and do it. May God help us to embrace the new things He is doing in our lives and grant us the courage to bring about new things in the life of others and our Parish, Amen!