Illustrated Word of Life for ages 4-8<\/a><\/strong> | Print<\/a> | Audio<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The exile in Babylon and the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem created a collective trauma for the people of Israel\u00a0 and gave rise to a theological question: they asked themselves, \u2018Is God still with us or has he abandoned us?\u2019 This month\u2019s Word of Life is taken from the part of the book of Isaiah that endeavoured to help the people understand that God was still at work. They could trust him and would, eventually, be able to return to their homeland. In fact, the face of God the creator and saviour is clearly revealed\u00a0 during this experience of exile.<\/p>\n “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”<\/strong><\/p>\n Isaiah reminds us of God\u2019s faithful love for his people that remains constant and unchanged during the dramatic period of exile. Even though the promises made to Abraham seem unattainable and the covenant seems to be in crisis, the people of Israel are in the privileged position of continuing to experience God\u2019s presence in history.<\/p>\n The prophetic book addresses existential questions that are still fundamental today: who determines the unfolding of history? Who determines its meaning? We can ask these questions on a personal level too. Who holds my fate in their hands? What is the meaning of what I am experiencing now or have experienced in the past?<\/p>\n “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”<\/strong><\/p>\n God is working in each person\u2019s life and is constantly, doing \u2018new things.\u2019 If we do not always notice or can understand their meaning and scope, it is because they are still springing up or because we are not ready to recognize what he is creating. Perhaps we do not pause long enough to observe these tiny shoots of life that are a certain sign of his presence because we are distracted by all that is happening around us or because thousands of thoughts and worries invade our souls and weigh us down. Nonetheless, he never forsakes us and is continually creating and recreating our lives.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are the \u2018new thing,\u2019 the \u2018new creation\u2019 that God has generated\u2026 We no longer look back to the past and sometimes regret what has happened to us or\u00a0 mourn our mistakes: we strongly believe in the action of God who can continue to work new things.\u201d[i]<\/a><\/p>\n “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”<\/strong><\/p>\n We live alongside many other people; they may be members of our community or friends or colleagues at work.\u00a0 Let\u2019s approach them and try to work together without ever losing faith that things will change for the better.<\/p>\n The year 2025 is special because the date of Orthodox Easter coincides with that of other Christian denominations. May this shared celebration of Easter be a testimony to the willingness of the Churches to unceasingly continue to dialogue about the challenges\u00a0 facing humanity and to promote joint action.<\/p>\n Let us\u00a0 prepare to live this Easter season with great joy, faith and hope. Christ rose from the dead so, although we may \u2018cross through the desert\u2019, let us continue to be accompanied on our journey by the One who guides both history and our personal lives.<\/p>\n by Patrizia Mazzola and the Word of Life Team<\/em><\/p>\n
\n“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Is.43:19).<\/h4>\n