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M A R C H 2 0 0 4
by Chiara Lubich
"Remember not the events of the past…
See, I am doing something new!"
(Is 43:18-19)
The Israelites are in exile in Babylon. They look back on their past
with nostalgia, remembering the glorious times when God intervened with
his power and freed their ancestors from their slavery in Egypt. They
are tempted to think: God will not send us another Moses, he will never
again work the great wonders of the past, and we will have to stay in
this foreign land forever.
In 539 B.C., however, the king of Persia, Cyrus, freed the chosen people
whose return to the promised land was even more extraordinary than the
exodus from Egypt.
God never repeats himself! His love is capable of working ever greater
things, things beyond our imagination. This is why he puts this invitation
on the lips of the prophet Isaiah:
“Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider
not. See, I am doing something new!”
At the end of his book, Isaiah announces a future more luminous than
ever before: the creation of new heavens and a new earth. God will do
something so great that “the things of the past shall not be remembered
or come to mind” (Is 65:17).
With the words of Isaiah in mind, the Apostle Paul also announces the
unimaginable intervention of God in our history. God makes human beings
new through the death and resurrection of Jesus; he recreates them, in
his son, for a new life (see 2 Cor 5:17). Then, in the Book of Revelation,
God announces the re-creation of the whole universe at the end of history:
“Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5).
The words of Isaiah stream through the entire Bible and they still have
something to say to us today:
“Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider
not. See, I am doing something new!”
We are that “something new,” the “new creation” that
God generated. He renewed our being and our actions through his Son when
we received him in his words and in all his gifts. Now it is Jesus himself
who lives and works in us. It is he who renews our relationships with
others in the family, at school, at work…. It is he who, through
us, regenerates our social life, our culture, entertainment, health care,
economy, politics, in other words, every kind of human activity that we
are involved in.
We no longer think of the past longing for the beautiful things that
once took place, or crying over the mistakes we made, for we strongly
believe God’s action can continue to work “new things.”
God always offers us the opportunity to begin again. He frees us from
all the burdens of the past which need no longer condition us. Life is
simplified; it becomes lighter, purer, fresher. Like Paul, we, too, will
forget the past and be free to run towards Christ, towards the fullness
of life and joy (see Phil 3:13-14).
“Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider
not. See, I am doing something new!”
How shall we live this Word of Life? Let us try to carry out with love
what God wants from us in every moment of the day—when we are studying,
working, taking care of the children, praying and playing. This means
setting aside whatever is not God’s will for us in that moment. This
will prepare us to be open to whatever he wants to bring about within
us and around us, and it will open us up to receive the particular grace
he provides us with moment by moment.
By living in this way, offering each action to God and telling him explicitly,
“It’s for you,” Jesus living in us will carry out works
that will last.
The commentary to the Word of Life is translated
in 90 different languages and dialects, and reaches more than 14 million
people worldwide, through the press, and radio and TV programs. If you
would like to read experiences of life related to this or to past
"Words of Life," they can be found in Living City magazine,
the monthly publication of the Focolare Movement. For information, or
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© 2003 - Living City of Focolare Movement - P.O. Box 837, Bronx,
New York 10465
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