Readings for today concentrate on the end time, the second coming of our Lord. Slightly frightening, difficult and confusing but intriguing passages. The gospel starts like this: " in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.” (Mk 13:24) What does it mean?
Jesus is actually quoting the Old Testament prophetic books
here. The prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel, and Amos about the conquest of
Israel by the Assyrian Babylonian empires are depicted in this way. And we know
that the sun, the moon and the stars are essential to ancient people as their
daily life was steered by them. To know the time, they depend on the sun light,
to travel by looking at the direction they depended on the moon and stars. So
those were the certain realities to which man could rely on. So, when it is
said that the cosmic realities are fading away, we are told to leave the old
arrangements that we were relying on and move on to a new one instead. Therefore,
it can be said that these words of Jesus are a prophecy of announcing the
coming of a new order or a new kingdom.
This prophecy has got two levels. The completion of the
first level we see on the cross. All the powers - the Romans, the Jews, the
Pharisees, the scribes, all together crucified Jesus after severe persecution.
But on the third day he rose again. Notice what is said about the time of
Jesus' death: "There was darkness over the whole land until the ninth
hour, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in
two.” (Luke 23:44-45) Yes, a new order, a new kingdom, is established. The
Kingdom of God, which he had spoken of since the beginning of his public life,
had arrived. The Son of man has come in glory. Until then, the reality of
death, which was as certain as the stars and planets, had been defeated. No
more fear of death. It was this perfect conviction that kept the early
Christians courageous despite the brutal persecution of the Roman emperors.
The second level is the completion of this new order. It
will be completed on the final day, on the day of Jesus' second coming. So, let
me ask you, what is the Second Coming of Jesus? In the first coming Jesus is
manifested to a certain people, the people of Israel, in a particular time
bounded by a particular place. On the other hand, in the second coming Jesus
will come in such a way that the whole human race can see. That is what His
second coming means. Then one may ask will it really happen? If you ask me the
reason for such a believe I would say: all the main Jewish feasts finds its
fulfilment in Jesus. Four of such feasts are already fulfilled in his first
coming and the rest of the three will be fulfilled in his second coming. I
think it is opportune to mention them briefly.
1.
The Sabbath: A Day of rest from all works and
set aside for God. Jesus rested in the tomb on the Holy Saturday. And fulfilled
the Old Testament Sabbath and inaugurated New Testament Sabbath on Sunday as
the Lords Day.
2.
The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread:
On the 14th of Nisan, family gather and sacrifices unblemished Lamb and eats.
At the Last Supper it is revealed that Christ is the true Passover Lamb, whose
body was incorruptible in the tomb as unleavened bread. That unleavened bread
is Holy Eucharist.
3.
The Feast of First Fruits: it was celebrated on
the third day after Passover. Christ rose on the third day after the Passover, as
the first fruit from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:22)
4.
Feast of Weeks: it was celebrated 7 weeks after
the Passover, ie. the 50th day after Passover, it is a harvest feast. For us it
is Pentecost, the harvest of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
5.
Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the day on
which the priest enters the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood and seek
forgiveness for the sins of the people. Jesus shed His blood on Calvary to
atone for the sins of mankind. It is partially complete, but it will be
completed in His second coming.
6.
The Feast of the trumpets: This is also be fulfilled in the Second
Coming: 1 Corinthians 15: 52 says about this: "in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the
dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
7.
Feast of Tabernacles: Revelation says “I saw
a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband; and I heard a great voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling
of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and
God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain
any more, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:1-4)
So, dear ones, the Second Coming of Christ is not just a
hypothesis or an imagination. That is the reality to come. It will happen.
Because Jesus himself says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will not pass away." But that day should not be considered as something
that only God knows and will happen only on the last day. Because Jesus himself
says: "This generation will not pass away until all these things take
place." What, then, is the glorious coming of the Lord before even a
generation pass away? It is nothing but Holy Eucharist. Christ comes in every Mass
with the same glory he has on Calvary. It first happened to the disciples who
went to Emmaus. Because that is where the first Holy Mass ever in the history of
the world took place. On the same evening of His resurrection. So, he comes to
every church in glory every day.
Notice what He does when He comes in glory: "Then He
will send angels, who will gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends
of the earth to the ends of the heavens." This is exactly what happens in
the Holy Mass. We who were scattered here and there are gathered together in
Christ. It brings us together regardless of our education our gender our
colour, our richness. So the Eucharistic liturgy is not a compensation for the
postponement of His Second coming but a way of celebrating the presence of one
who had promised to return.”. Full of Christ's
heavenly glory though we cannot yet see him in all of his glory here on earth.
It can only be seen clearly on the last day. It is not because Christ will have greater fullness and glory then but rather
because humanity will be able to behold him in that fullness in that glory with
all of our senses as he is unveiled. That is why in the first letter of
John we read, "beloved we are
god's children now. it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when
he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is." (1
John 3: 2).
Dear friends, every
Holy Mass, therefore, is heaven on earth. So it is hard to think for one who
does not take the Eucharist seriously will seriously approach the coming of
Christ on the last day.
So let us reflect,
how prepared and vigilant are we to meet Christ? Have you ever felt lucky to be
able to participate in every Holy Mass? Which way of life still leads us? the
old or the new order came through Christ who defeated even the death? In a
sense, all evil comes from the fear of death. Murder and false propaganda are
based on the fear that they will die. Aggrandize myself, I trumpet my accomplishments
because I’m afraid of dying. Every tyranny, every system of domination, every governmental
brutality over the centuries is predicated upon fear. But when we join the
order of Christ who defeated death, we do not have to live in pride, jealousy,
greed, fear and violence. But we live for the sake of truth and righteousness
as God wills as God's children.
So as the book of
Lamentations says: “Let us test and examine our ways and return to the Lord!
Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven” (Lam 3:40-41). May
Almighty God Bless Us!
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