One of my favorite hobbies is to make something that’s old new again. With cleansing, restoring, and patient attention to detail, I enjoy making things—that otherwise would have ended up in a dumpster—useful once more. Taking something broken and giving it a new purpose reminds me of the divine work of redemption that God performs within me.
In sin, we throw our lives away, however our Lord Jesus Christ redeems us. By His Cross and Resurrection, our Savior has set us free! “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” [2 Corinthians 5:17].
Christ came into the world to make things new again. To renew, restore, refresh: our lives are transformed in Christ—if we are willing. The question is: Are we willing to put in the time, effort, and patience to partake in our Lord’s mission to make things new, especially our lives?
Love and Renewal
United in Christ, we learn to live with a sense of prudence, humility, compassion, and the fervor of God’s grace. Renewed in the spirit of our hearts and minds, we put on “the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth” [Ephesians 4:24]. For 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]” [Revelation 21:3]. In other words, given that God is love, divine love dwells with us. For this divine love to take hold within us, Christ restores and refreshes the hearts and minds of who we are.
The Word and teachings we receive through Jesus cleanse and heal us. Opening ourselves, God’s love lives in and through us. As Jesus said: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” [John 14:23].
Therefore, let us look to Christ as Pope Leo XIV calls us to do. May we come closer to our Savior and welcome His Word into our lives. According to our new Pontiff, the heart of the Gospel is the love of God that makes us brothers and sisters.
The Ripple Effect
What do we do with this love? Just as the Lord restores our hearts and minds, we are called to cultivate renewal in the world around us. With God’s grace, our lives can be a source of positive change.
The Lord’s renewal of our own hearts and minds can ripple outward to meaningfully impact the lives of those around us. We become conduits for the Lord’s work of redemption and healing in our world. Whether through acts of kindness, creativity, or care for others, we can transform our surroundings to reflect faith, hope, and love.
So long as we answer our call with love and great care, we can inspire others to do the same. Therefore, let each of us reflect the promise of a new beginning. As the Lord proclaimed: “See, I am doing something new!” [Isaiah 43:19] Amen!
