The reflection for Good Friday recalled the original creation in the words of the first book of the Bible, in six days of labour followed by the sabbath, the day of rest. The reflection for Holy Saturday recalled that sabbath. On Easter Day we exult at the first day of God’s new creation, a new creation described and promised in words from the last book of the Bible.
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Almighty God
We exult and thank you for this heaven and this earth, which you made for us as the cradle of our existence. After six days of creation you declared, ‘It is finished’. Though repeatedly we turned away, you taught people in each generation to live by your faithful promises.
We exult and wonder that to redeem all peoples and all creation you sent your Son Jesus Christ as one of us. He died at our hands. From the cross he declared ‘It is finished’. Since then we have made for ourselves a sabbath of desolation.
But your goodness and love cannot be contained, and now we highly exult that you have raised Jesus from the dead. Your risen Son is the promise and pledge of a new heaven and a new earth, offered to all; a creation in which you will be as close to each one of us as the evening breeze, yet we shall not hide. Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them: they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day – and there will be no night there.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Then the one who was seated on the throne said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.’
The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Biblical references: Revelation 21:1-4; 22-25; 22:1-4; 21:6; 22:17
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