Today is May 18, the Fifth Sunday of Easter.
We read at today’s Mass, “I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.’ The One who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new'” (Rev 21:3-5).
Whenever I hear that verse, I can’t help but recall one of the most unforgettable scenes from Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” I know that film isn’t for everyone — its portrayal of Christ’s suffering is intense — but it left a deep impression on me when I first saw it in high school.
There’s a moment when Jesus, carrying his cross, falls to the ground before the Virgin Mary. She rushes to him, and the film cuts to a memory — Jesus as a little boy, stumbling and falling, with his mother running to catch him. The scene is devastating in its tenderness. And then, lying bruised and beaten under the weight of the cross, Jesus looks up at her and says the words from today’s reading: “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he rises and continues on his way.
Redemption in the cross
That moment has always moved me because it captures something essential about our faith: the newness Christ promises doesn’t come through comfort — it comes through the cross. Through his passion, Christ is redeeming every part of our humanity. Nothing is left untouched. He makes all things new through his suffering, through his obedience, through his sacrificial love.
Pope John Paul I, in one of his lesser-known reflections, wrote:
“To love God, we have seen, is a journey. God wants it to be more and more intense and perfect. He said to all his followers, ‘You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth. You must be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.’ That means to love God not a little, but so much; not to stop at the point at which we have arrived, but, with his help, to progress in love.”
In all of our lives, the Lord is doing exactly that — making all things new. As we continue our earthly pilgrimage, we are being purified. Slowly, step by step, we surrender more of ourselves to him. One by one, the things that block us from receiving his love are stripped away. And through it all, he is shaping our hearts to love not a little, but so much.
So today, let that be our prayer: that we would not stop where we are but continue to walk with Christ. That we would trust in his promise to make all things new.
Let us pray,
Almighty ever-living God, constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism may, under your protective care, bear much fruit and come to the joys of life eternal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
