“They will see 'the Son of Man coming in the clouds' with great power
and glory.”
Mk 13:25
Excerpted from an article by the Happy Priest, Fr. James Farfaglia (full article linked below)
By now, most of you have made your plans for Thanksgiving
Day. Some of you may even have begun your Christmas shopping. As we begin to
think about the beautiful holy days that are approaching, the liturgy of the
Catholic Church is directing our attention in a different direction. As the
liturgical year ends… the Catholic liturgy focuses on the theme of the Second
Coming…
Without a doubt, the trials and tribulations of our present
day have caused many people to believe that the end of the world is imminent. Even
though the troubles facing our Church, our nation and the world have many times
reached apocalyptic proportions, it is dangerous to interpret these events
literally... always keep in mind the words of our Lord: "But of that day
or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son of Man, but only
the Father.”
… The certainty of the Lord's return in glory and the
challenges of the current time of trial must instill in us a renewed missionary
spirit. It is not permissible for any Christian to retreat because of fear… Each
of us must be busy in the vineyard. There is much to be done.
There is no doubt that we live in a period of history that
is difficult indeed… Nevertheless… history has seen many moments of trial and
tribulation.
"Be not afraid," Pope John Paul II… challenged all
of us… our entire trust must be in Christ Jesus whose final victory over evil
we await with joyful hope.
I am not minimizing the magnitude of the challenges that
confront us. Nevertheless… we must abandon ourselves with total confidence into
the loving hands of God… I have become increasingly more… aware that God is in
charge and that the solution to most of the problems facing humanity depends on
his intervention.
The Church continually calls us to the new evangelization. We
are not to live in caves or on islands, waiting for the end of the world… the
Second Coming of Jesus should fill us with a renewed sense of hope and… greater
urgency to be committed apostles of Jesus Christ.
By Fr. James Farfaglia, Catholic Online, 11.18.12
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