This past week, Stephanie and I were participating in our weekly tradition of ‘Friday Date Night’ at the grocery store (exciting, I know).
We remembered that we needed to buy greeting cards for some upcoming events: one First Communion, one Confirmation, and a couple of graduations. We celebrate these events to honor the fact that time was spent for learning and growing, and that time has now come to an end because the individual has accomplished what they set out to do and is now moving on.
I find it a bit ironic that when we celebrate a graduation, they call it a commencement ceremony. “Commencement” actually means “the beginning of something.” But that’s really what graduation is all about – it’s about a new beginning. The reason we go to school is so we can gain knowledge, develop skills, and prepare for the future.
Before you know it, the Easter season will come to an end. But it is not meant to be an ending but a new beginning. Afterall, Jesus came to earth to proclaim his message of salvation and the new life that can be found in him. And he was preparing his disciples (and us) to continue his mission after he returned to heaven.
I believe there are three primary themes that echo throughout our readings, and those are: endurance in faith, to love one another, and a new creation. Let me dive deeper into each of these.
Endurance in Faith
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas encourage the early Church to remain strong in their faith despite hardships and difficulties, teaching us that faith and perseverance go hand in hand.
In the Book of Revelation, we see a vision where God dwells with us, wiping away every tear and taking away pain and suffering. This image assures us of God’s constant presence and care for us, especially during difficult times. No matter what challenges we face, we can trust that God is with us, even when we face the unbearable darkness.
A mother was faced with the heartbreaking news that her child was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Rather than giving in to despair, she turned to her faith and her church community for support. Through countless prayers, she felt the presence of God guiding her and giving her strength. Miraculously, her child’s condition improved, and doctors were astonished by the recovery.
This story teaches us the importance of holding onto our faith, even when the circumstances seem impossible. It reminds us that miracles do happen, and that God is present even in the darkest times of our lives. Christ calls us to bear hardships – not so that we suffer, but so that we have hearts that are prepared to love, to extend mercy, and to forgive. With persistent faith, we can endure any circumstance.
Love One Another
Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Do we carry this central teaching into our lives?
Let’s be honest, we throw the word ‘love’ around quite a bit, but what does it really mean? How do we put our love into action?
I came across this definition of love from St. Thomas Aquinas, and it’s probably the most challenging definition out there. He said, “Love is willing the good of the other.” That’s great; but that’s really hard to do. Lord knows I’ve certainly tried to love like that with my own family and those closest to me, but I have failed often.
If I failed there, how am I ever supposed to love that guy who just cut me off on the interstate? Here’s what I’ve learned: the best way to express and deepen our love for God and our neighbor is through prayer. And as hard as it may be in that moment, here’s what I’ve been trying to do (and yes, it’s still a struggle). First, no horn-honking, no cursing, no hand gestures saying, “You’re number one!” I take a deep breath and say a prayer for the guy. I’ll say something like, “Lord give this man the gift of patience. He may have an emergency he needs to get to, so please let him arrive safely and please fill his heart with your love.”
There is a story about a man who had a huge boulder in his front yard. He grew weary of this big, unattractive stone so he decided to turn it into an object of art. He went to work on it with hammer and chisel and chipped away at the huge boulder until it became a beautiful stone elephant. When he was finished it was a thing of beauty. A neighbor asked, “How did you ever carve such a marvelous likeness of an elephant?” The man answered, “I just chipped away everything that didn’t look like an elephant!”
If we have anything in our life right now that doesn’t look like love, chip it away! If we have anything in our life that doesn’t look like compassion, mercy, or forgiveness, chip it away! If we have hatred, prejudice, vengeance, or envy in our heart, let’s get rid of it! Let God chip everything out of our lives that doesn’t look like love.
New Creation
This new creation that we hear about in the Book of Revelation is not something magical that appears out of thin air. Rather, it begins right here and now with every act to fulfill Jesus’ command to love.
In the mystery of his Incarnation, God the Son comes to die. God takes all that is ugly, old, and rotten in this world and draws it into himself. Here the old gives way to the new. Here death dies and hope is reborn.
God did not say he was making all ‘new’ things. He said he was ‘making all things new!’ God is not saying that he will make ‘new’ things which didn’t exist before; but that he will fix what’s broken and make it better. He is not replacing but restoring. He’s getting rid of the imperfections and making things beautiful. God will transform our lives and make them amazing!
My sisters and brothers, God is constantly ‘making all things new’ in our lives – in the midst of our pain, in the midst of our disappointment, and in the midst of our sorrow. Perhaps we cannot see it yet and maybe it feels as though God is not doing anything new – but trust that he is. Have endurance in faith, love one another, and always remember: Every story has an end, but in life, every end is just a new beginning. Amen.
Check out this beautiful song ‘All Things New.’
We need to choose love over anger. Find out why.
