A reading from the gospel according to Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
Jesus said to his disciples:
25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
26 People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
34 “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise
35 like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth.
36 Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Reflection: Jesus is coming.
1. We often hear of the second coming of Jesus but a commentator says that Jesus is actually coming in three forms: He already came in history, i.e. his birth; He comes to us in mystery through the sacraments; Then He will come again in majesty at the end of time.
2. As believers, there is nothing to fear in the third coming. Though it may be a cataclysmic event, we anticipate it with joyful hope that we will see Jesus face to face and be united with Him forever.
3. We may not physically witness the third coming because it may not happen in our lifetime. Still, we need to be prepared at all times. To do that, we do away with habits that distract our preparation such as drunkenness and other forms of addiction. Moreover, we should glorify God every moment of our life through activities like prayers and service to others. There should be no room for idleness.
4. We ask the Holy Spirit to help us that we may have the eyes to see the signs of the times and to be able to discern the message of God in our life. That is why we need to have time for meditation and to listen to His messengers.
5. Receiving Jesus every day through the sacraments makes us very familiar with Him and thus, any talk of apocalypse will only put a smile on our lips because in faith, we are confident of our salvation. In fact, His presence in our life gives us the privilege to experience the life that is come for His children. We call that living the life of a saint (with a small “s”) but we can only do that through the grace of God. Let us try to experience this saintly life in this advent season and even after that. By trying to do it again and again, we become accustomed to it. Then it becomes our destiny – to be the holy people of God.
