The Book of Revelation, from which the Word of Life is taken, concludes the compilation of the New Testament writings. The title means revelation, and the author's intention is to convey the ultimate events: the return of Jesus to earth, the final defeat of evil, and the emergence of a new heaven and a new earth.

It is not an easy text to understand. It is set in the years 81-96 AD. The persecution of Christians is fierce. The atmosphere in the Christian communities is one of fear: what will become of us and the message entrusted to us? Why doesn't God intervene?

Under these circumstances, the author is exiled by the Romans to the island of Patmos. It is here that he begins to have a series of visions and receives the order to write them down.

«"See, I make all things new."».

The Book of Revelation sought to give hope to persecuted communities: despite the present being difficult and full of violence, despite the uncertain future, in the end good will triumph and God will make all things new.

Even today, looking at the news or the front page of the newspapers, we see many tragedies, sad stories to which we all risk becoming accustomed. […] But there is a Father who weeps with us; a Father who weeps tears of infinite compassion for his children… A Father who waits to console us, because he knows our sufferings and has prepared a different future for us. This is the great vision of Christian hope, which expands every day of our lives and wants to lift us up.«^[1].

«"See, I make all things new."».

We cannot know when or how this will happen, and it is pointless to try to find out. But it will certainly happen.

«"The final pages of the Bible show us the ultimate horizon of the believer's journey: the Jerusalem of Heaven, the celestial Jerusalem, imagined above all as an immense tent in which God will welcome all men to dwell definitively with them (Ap 21:3). And this is our hope. And what will God do when we are finally with Him? He will have infinite tenderness toward us, like a father who welcomes his children who have long struggled and suffered. “This is the dwelling place of God with men […] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away […] See, I am making everything new!” (21:3-5). The God of newness!»^[2].

«"See, I make all things new."».

How to live the Word of Life this month?

«This assures us that we are heading towards a new world that we are preparing and building right now. In other words, it is the complete opposite of an invitation to become careless and flee from the world. In fact, God wants to renew everything: our personal lives, friendships, marital love, families; He wants to renew social life, the world of work, education, culture, leisure time, healthcare, the economy, politics… in a word, all sectors of human activity. But to do this, He needs us. He needs people who let His Word live within them, who are His living Word, other Jesuses in their own environments.»^[3].

Alice, a young Christian woman, understood that following her vocation required a profound change to allow God to fully work in her life and transform it. Like an immense gift, she had the opportunity to experience life in India. There she tasted authentic joy and felt immersed in God's grace, even in difficult times. Thus, she dedicates her days to prayer, community life, and volunteer work. The children at the orphanage deeply impressed her: even without possessing anything, they displayed incredible enthusiasm and taught her so much about life. It wasn't just a trip, but a pilgrimage, a journey of ups and downs, where she had to "empty her backpack" and found herself enriched and liberated.

Augusto Parody Reyes and the Word of Life team

[1] Francis, General Audience, 23-8-2017: Called to sow hope, Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 2017, pp. 154.155.
[2] Ibid., pp. 153-154.
[3] C. Lubich, Word of Life, April 1989: Ead., Words of Life/1 (1943-1990), Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 2020, p. 454.