{"id":630,"date":"2024-05-27T14:27:38","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T14:27:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/?p=630"},"modified":"2026-02-20T22:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T22:34:07","slug":"a-new-heaven-and-a-new-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/2024\/05\/27\/a-new-heaven-and-a-new-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Heaven and a New Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Homily, 3-11-24; Monday of the 4th Week in Lent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the prophet Isaiah, we hear God speak of a new heaven and a new earth. And it sounds very similar to what we hear in the Book of Revelation about the new heaven and the new earth that will occur at the end of time when Jesus returns for the final judgement. The descriptions of the new heaven and the new earth are similar, but different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Isaiah\u2019s description, death is delayed, but it still occurs. Some people are still thought to be accursed. So what is this new heaven and new earth which is apparently meant to happen before the end of time? We can get a little hint from St. Peter our first pope. In his second letter he writes: \u201cSince everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought [you] to be, conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion<\/a>, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved in flames and the elements melted by fire\u201d <\/em><\/strong>(2 Peter 3:11-12). The new heaven and earth are something we are to strive for as we await Jesus\u2019 second coming, although we won\u2019t necessarily attain it. It is something we should work at by conducting ourselves in holiness and devotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Catechism also gives us some insight into why we are here this morning. It states: \u201cThe Church knows that the Lord comes even now in his Eucharist and that he is there in our midst. However, his presence is veiled. Therefore we celebrate the Eucharist \u2018awaiting the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,\u2019 asking \u2018to share in your glory when every tear will be wiped away. On that day we shall see you, our God, as you are. We shall become like you and praise you for ever through Christ our Lord.\u2019 There is no surer pledge or dearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth \u2018in which righteousness dwells,\u2019 than the Eucharist. Every time this mystery is celebrated, \u2018the work of our redemption is carried on\u2019 and we \u2018break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.\u2019\u201d <\/em><\/strong>(CCC #1404-05)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We come to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. He has put an end to death as He tells us: \u201cI am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> Let us remember His promise of immortality as we await the new heaven and the new earth. And as we do, let us strive each day to do our part to make the world we live in a better place; to reduce suffering, to replace cries of distress with sounds of joy, to support life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Homily, 3-11-24; Monday of the 4th Week in Lent Through the prophet Isaiah, we hear God speak of a new heaven and a new earth. And it sounds very similar to what we hear in the Book of Revelation about the new heaven and the new earth that will occur at the end of time… Continue reading A New Heaven and a New Earth<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekday-homilies","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":631,"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions\/631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orthoscopy.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}