Behold, I Am Doing a New Thing
As a friend of the parish, I’m grateful to Fr John, whose thoughts have prompted me to reflect on these words from the prophet Isaiah. Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to read his hopes for the month ahead and take them to heart. It begins with the following reading from Isaiah (43:19)
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
There is something hopeful about Isaiah’s words. God doesn’t simply tell us that things can change; he reminds us that God is already at work. “I am doing a new thing.”
Sometimes we begin a new month carrying the burdens of the one before it… Our worries, disappointments… that perception of unanswered prayers and those nagging uncertainties about what lies ahead. Yet God invites us not to remain trapped in yesterday. He asks us to look with faith and to perceive what he’s beginning to do.
The wilderness can represent those places in our lives where we feel lost, tired or uncertain. The desert can seem incapable of producing anything. Yet God promises, “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Where we see emptiness, God can bring life. Where we see no path, God can make a way.
As Fr John reminds us as we begin this new month, perhaps our prayer should be simple:
“Heavenly Father, I place this month into your hands. Give me the faith to recognise your presence, the courage to follow where you lead, the wisdom to accept your will, and the peace to trust you with what I cannot yet see.” Amen.
We may not know what this new month will bring. But we can begin it knowing that God goes before us, and he is already doing a new thing.
As Fr Neil reminded us at Mass, perhaps take this prayer leaflet and put it somewhere you will see it regularly, perhaps on the fridge door. Then, whenever you see it, let it be a gentle reminder to pause for a moment and pray. You don’t need a long prayer; simply turn your heart towards God and say, “Lord, I trust you with this day. Help me to see the new thing you are doing.”
In that simple way, the words of Isaiah can become more than a verse on a page. They can become a prayer for each day of the month—a reminder that God is with us, God is at work, and God is making a way.