The birth of the new creation (Rm 8,22)
Saint Paul wrote these words: “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation” (2Cor 5,17)... But tell me, which of these is the more amazing: to witness the skies, or other created elements, being renewed, or to see someone passing from malice to virtue and renouncing error to cleave to truth? For this is precisely what Paul called “a new creation”... Those, in fact, who have put their faith in Christ have laid down the burden of their sins as one lays aside a worn garment. When set free from error they are lit up by the Sun of Justice (Mal 3,20) like someone putting on a bright, new garment, a royal robe... ““the old order has passed away; behold, new things have come” (ibid.)... God's grace has broken in; it has remade and restored our souls, it has transformed them...
Now, have you noticed how the Lord daily accomplishes this new creation? For often enough people spent their whole lives in the pleasures of this world. Moreover, they worshiped creatures, taking them to be gods. Who but our Lord, then, could have persuaded them suddenly to raise themselves up to so high a degree of virtue, from then on despising all those idols and worshiping the creator of the world, putting their faith in him far above everything in this life?...
So I call on all of you – those who were baptized before as well as those who are coming now to receive this grace from the Lord – to listen to this exhortation of the apostle's: “the old order has passed away; behold, new things have come”. Let us forget all about our past; let us reform our lives like citizens called to a new life. In all we say and do, let us consider the dignity of him who dwells within us.
| Friday, May 10, 2013 Easter Weekday |
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