NEW BIRTH
I started writing this reflection in 2025, the day after Pope Francis’ funeral. I was struck at the time by how this short piece of scripture encapsulates the mysteries of our Faith and especially the hope of resurrection. That Pope Francis died when the whole Church was celebrating the Paschal mystery seemed very fitting.
Mercy was a leitmotif of Pope Francis’ preaching and his actions. This was a challenge to some and a huge blessing to others. Peter in this text shows us that our new birth begins with mercy. He does not say we earned it, discovered it, or built it. He insists it is given. For Francis, God’s mercy was a living force that recreates us. In this sense, new birth is not self-improvement; it is re-creation. We are born again not by trying harder but by allowing ourselves to be loved first.
How can you be open to God’s promise of new birth this Eastertide?
(1Peter 1:3-9, Second Sunday of Easter)