3 April 2022

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do 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.

From Isaiah 43:16-21, NRSV

In today’s reading, we hear words of prophecy that were written during the time when the people of Israel were enslaved as exiles in Babylon. The prophet foretells a time of new beginning for an oppressed people who have known great suffering. The prophet promises a return to their homeland and the miraculous provision of water in a desert. God will not only release them physically but also spiritually – they can forget the past and all their failures since God wants to give them a new and fresh start. As we approach the celebration of Easter, perhaps we are also to allow ourselves to be released from the burden of our own past faults and failings and to focus on the fresh, new beginnings which God wants for us too.

• • Why do you think the prophet was called to speak these words at this time in the history of Israel?
  • What is your own experience of finding strength or a way forward from a situation that seemed hopeless?

Pray for those who are preparing for Baptism this Easter.