Wiping Every Tear: An Invitation to Eternal Intimacy
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
Revelation 21:1-7
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.” The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.” He said to me, “They are accomplished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water. The victor will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son.”
Grace Prayed For
The Grace of Hopeful Presence: Pray for the gift of “Eschatological Hope”—the ability to live today with such confidence in God’s final victory that you can remain peaceful, loving, and present to others, even in the midst of suffering or chaos.
Reflection
To contemplate this passage is to peer into the ultimate heart of the Trinitarian God. The Father, through the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, does not merely observe us from a distance; He “dwells” with us. This is the “Future Intimacy” you seek—a reality where the boundary between heaven and earth is dissolved by the sheer force of divine affection.
Deepening Intimacy with Jesus Jesus is the “Alpha and the Omega” mentioned here. He is the bridge between your current struggles and this eternal peace. To grow closer to Him, see Him as the one who “wipes every tear.” This isn’t a distant, abstract act; it is a gesture of profound physical and spiritual closeness. Imagine Jesus standing before you, recognizing your specific pains, and promising that they do not have the final word. By resting in His identity as the “Beginning and the End,” you can let go of the anxiety of the “middle”—the messy, uncertain parts of your life—knowing He has already secured the conclusion.
Bringing Love into Every Encounter How do you carry this into the world? By becoming a living icon of the “New Jerusalem.” If God’s mission is to “make all things new,” then your mission in every encounter is to be an agent of that renewal.
The Old Order vs. The New: In every conversation, you have a choice: to respond with the “old order” (judgment, resentment, or indifference) or the “new order” (mercy, hope, and presence). When you choose the latter, you are literally bringing a piece of heaven down to earth for that person to experience.
See the Thirst: When you meet someone, recognize that they are “thirsty” for the life-giving water Jesus promises. Your kindness, your listening ear, and your patience are the vessels through which that water flows.
Wipe Away Tears: You may not be able to solve every problem, but you can mirror God’s intimacy by acknowledging the pain of others rather than turning away.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post