Scripture Reading (Jerusalem Bible):

Isaiah 65:17-21
“Thus says the Lord: I am about to create new heavens and a new earth… Be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating… No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.”

Reflection:

Coming out of the healing light of Laetare Sunday, we are reminded today that God is not only restoring us—He is recreating us. In Isaiah’s vision, we hear God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth, of a world where joy replaces weeping and life springs forth in abundance. This is not simply a promise for the end of time, but something God wants to begin in us now.

Lent is not a pause button on life—it is a preparation for mission. After Christ heals us, He sends us. He opens our eyes not just so we can see, but so we can respond—to live with deeper purpose, clarity, and love. The graces of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not only meant for our interior transformation, but to flow outward into our relationships, our work, and our service.

But renewal isn’t always easy. Sometimes, we cling to the old habits, hurts, or fears that Jesus is inviting us to leave behind. We say we want the “new,” but resist the letting go. And yet, Christ comes to us gently and persistently, offering a new beginning, not based on our past failures, but on His enduring love.

St. Ambrose, a great teacher of the Church, encourages us in this hope:

“God does not look at what you have been, but at what you will be.”
(On Repentance, Book II)

And from the Desert Fathers, Abba Elias reminds:

“Unless you are made new in your mind every day, you will never see the Kingdom of God.”
(Apophthegmata Patrum, Elias 3)

These voices echo God’s call in Isaiah: “Be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating.” Let us not fear the new thing He is doing—but welcome it. We are being formed into a people of joy, healed not just for ourselves, but to be signs of His kingdom in a hurting world.

Reflection Questions:

1. What “old” ways is God inviting me to let go of so that I can receive something new?
2. How am I being called to bring healing, joy, or renewal to someone else today?
3. Do I believe that God is making something new in me, even now?

Closing Prayer:

Lord, You are always creating something new, even when I cannot yet see it. Open my heart to the work You are doing in me. Help me to release what no longer brings life, and to receive the joy You are preparing. Send me, renewed and restored, to share that joy with others. Amen.