“Everything is new, Lord, and nothing is the same, nothing is old.”
Reflections on Pope Francis
I have been reflecting on the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, the past few days. God gave him the grace of being very present to his flock up to the last moment. The day before he passed, he did ordinary things for a Pope: audiences, even going around and greeting people and blessing babies.
Pope Francis’ Prayer
In his homily for the Easter Sunday Mass the Pope quoted a prayer:
“Lord, on this feast day we ask you for this gift: that we too may be made new, so as to experience this eternal newness. Cleanse us, O God, from the sad dust of habit, tiredness and indifference; give us the joy of waking every morning with wonder, with eyes ready to see the new colors of this morning, unique and unlike any other. […] Everything is new, Lord, and nothing is the same, nothing is old” (A. Zarri, Quasi una preghiera).
What a beautiful prayer to have in our hearts to prepare us for the new day of heaven! On Sunday Pope Francis woke to greet the Easter morning, and on Monday he woke to the dawn of eternity. “Everything is new, Lord, and nothing is the same, nothing is old.”
The Hope of Eternity for Us All
Just as the disciples were “incredulous for joy” when they saw Jesus alive before them, we also, one day, have the hope of this experience. Our days – long or short – will arrive to our last, and the hope of heaven will be realized! One day our prayer too can be, “Everything is new, Lord, and nothing is the same, nothing is old.”
