“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).
As November ends, so do the Gospel readings about the Second Coming, when, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “…the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works, and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.” (Para. 682)
Only Christ knows when that day will come, but in today’s Gospel, He forewarns of signs in the sun, moon and stars, roaring of the waves in the sea and people dying of fright! When these things begin to happen, He tells us to “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand” (Luke 21:28).
How will we have the strength of mind and body to stand erect amidst such frightful occurrences?
Jesus taught that if we’ve prepared ourselves to receive Him by keeping our hearts filled with the light of His love, by loving our neighbor and serving Him in faith through all our earthly struggles, we can be confident that on the Last Day, He will renew our strength and remove all fear.
But we must ask Him to create in us a new spirit and work hard to keep it alive, and we must start now. What perfect timing with the start of Advent! How better to prepare ourselves for Jesus’ Second Coming than by recalling the wondrous days leading to His First Coming.
May your Advent be filled with love and peace!
