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| John Paul II Ecclesia in Europa IntraText CT - Text |
CHAPTER ONE
“Fear not, I am the first and the last
and the living one” (Rev 1:17-18)
The Risen One is always with us
6. At a time of persecution, tribulation and bewilderment for the Church (cf. Rev 1:9), the message resounding throughout the vision of the writer of the Book of Revelation is a message of hope: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one, I died and behold I am alive for ever more, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev 1:17-18). We thus find ourselves before the Gospel, the “good news”, that is Jesus Christ himself. He is the First and the Last: in him all history finds its beginning, its meaning, its direction and its fulfilment. In him and with him, in his death and resurrection, everything has already been said. He is the Living One: once he was dead yet now he lives for ever. He is the Lamb standing before the throne of God (cf. Rev 5:6): sacrificed, because he shed his blood for us on the wood of the Cross. He is standing, because he has come back to unending life and has shown us the infinite power of the Father's love. He holds in his hands the seven stars (cf Rev 1:16), the persecuted Church of God, which struggles against evil and sin, yet nonetheless has every right to be joyful and victorious since she is in the hands of the One who has already triumphed over evil. He walks among the seven golden lampstands (cf. Rev 2:1), for he is present and active in his Church at prayer. He is also “the one who comes” (Rev 1:4), thanks to the Church's mission and the activity throughout human history; he will come as the eschatological reaper, at the end of time, in order to bring all things to completion (cf. Rev 14:15- 16; 22:20).