The exile in Babylon and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem had caused a collective trauma among the people of Israel and posed a theological question: Is God still with us, or has He abandoned us? The purpose of this part of the Book of Isaiah is to help the people understand what God is doing, to trust in Him, and thus be able to return to their homeland. And it is precisely in the experience of exile that the face of God, the Creator and Savior, is revealed.

"Behold, I am doing something new; it is already sprouting, do you not notice it?"

Isaiah recalls God's faithful love for his people. His faithfulness remains constant even during the dramatic time of exile. Although the promises he made to Abraham seem unattainable and the Covenant is going through critical moments, the people of Israel remain a particularly privileged place of God's presence in history.

The prophetic book addresses existential questions, fundamental not only to that time: Who holds the reins of the course and meaning of history? This question can also be posed on a personal level: Who holds the destiny of my life in his hands? What is the meaning of what I am experiencing or what I have experienced?

"Behold, I am doing something new; it is already sprouting, do you not notice it?"

God is constantly at work in each person's life, creating "something new." If we don't always notice this or understand its meaning and scope, it's because they are still budding, or because we aren't willing to recognize what He is doing. Distracted by things that happen to us, by the thousand worries that torment our souls, by thoughts that bother us, perhaps we don't stop long enough to observe these buds, which are the certainty of His presence. He has never abandoned us, and He creates and recreates our lives again and again.

"We are that 'something new,' the 'new creation' that God has brought forth. […] Let us not continue to look to the past, yearning for all the beautiful things that have happened to us or lamenting our failures: let us believe strongly in God's action, that he can continue to accomplish something new."^[1].

"Behold, I am doing something new; it is already sprouting, do you not notice it?"

Together with those who share our path of existence—our community, friends, and colleagues—let us strive to work, share, and not lose faith that things can change for the better.

2025 is a special year because the date of Orthodox Easter coincides with that of other Christian denominations. May this event, the common Easter feast, be a testimony to the Churches' willingness to continue their tireless dialogue to jointly address the challenges facing humanity and promote joint action.

Let us prepare, then, to live this Easter season with full joy, faith, and hope. Just as Christ is risen, so too, after having traversed our deserts, let us allow ourselves to be accompanied on this journey by the One who guides history and our lives.

Patrizia Mazzola and the Word of Life team

[1] Cf. C. Lubich, Word of Life, March 2004: Ciudad Nueva n. 407 (2004/3), p. 23.