Tag: second coming

“Know that the Kingdom of God is near.” | Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. Blessed the men whose strength you are! They go from strength to strength. Here God lives among his people.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 21:28)

Jesus told his disciples a parable. “Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Jesus describes what the coming of the kingdom of God looks like in a tender comparison of the fig tree and all other trees. It buds and yet is to bud. Already here and yet to be, its coming looks like all the opening up to warmth and new life that summer brings. The generation in which Jesus spoke these words has passed away, but the kingdom was present then, is here now, and is yet to open wider. “Jesus Christ,” Saint Paul says, “is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

God, just as the buds of the fig tree burst open, let the coming of your kingdom work in me to bud and bring new life. The psalmist prays “Here God lives among his people.” Already here and yet to come, your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Let me remember throughout the day to radiate your love and praise you. Give me the opportunity to show others whose strength it is—from strength to strength—that finds a home in a soul that cries out for the living God. Lord, keep me in your kingdom as I seek to remain in you for eternal life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament

Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time—Thanksgiving

From the responsorial psalm: “Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 21:20-28)

“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

Jesus describes to the disciples the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place in A.D. 70. Luke’s Gospel, written several years later, relates what had already taken place. What Jesus predicts about Jerusalem gives assurance to the disciples that the final judgment will also be fulfilled. In Jesus’ words, “a terrible calamity will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon his people. . . . People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world.” As difficult as this time is to imagine—nations in dismay and terrible signs on earth and in the sky—Jesus will come with “power and great glory” as our hope and redeemer comes to call us to the “wedding feast of the Lamb.”

God, in the midst of the greatest distress you are not absent to your people but here among us in the risen Christ, who will come again to judge the living and the dead. Help me trust in you and remain steadfast in the trials of daily life and in preparation for the fulfillment of your kingdom in the Second Coming of Jesus. Keep me in your care, Lord, let me be grateful for the many blessings of each day. On Thanksgiving Day, grant me the grace to be a means of hope and love, especially for those in distress who most need your mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Maximilian Kolbe Shrine—Blessed Sacrament

“Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” | Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, But delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 18:35-43)

As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

The blind man in today’s Gospel is a model of persistent prayer and expressing it in a way that catches God’s attention. It is also a model of evangelization. The blind man shouts and calls out to Jesus to be heard. Although initially rebuking him, on seeing the blind man healed and giving glory to God, the same crowd who rebuked him turn around and give praise to God. The healing that takes place through his faith is a kind of multiplication of the loaves, where shared among others it multiplies many times over. A prerequisite for the blind man’s healing is his lack of sight, his desire to see. This speaks to every person who lacks something in faith that love and repentance restore so that we can try again. As the Lord says in the first reading: “you have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first.” The blind man gains sight; in his faith and miraculous healing, he gives us cause to give praise to God.

God, help me understand today’s Gospel in light of the Gospel acclamation: “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” Every day, Lord, there is reason to call out to you; I lose sight of you and stumble in the dark, realizing more and more that I am dependent on you for every good gift. In giving all thanks and glory to you for restoring in me the light of your love time after time—in prayer, at Mass, and in the sacraments—help make my faith in you a witness to others and a cause for them to give you praise.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Perpetual adoration live stream Kolbe Shrine.

“My words will not pass away.” | Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you it is who hold fast my lot. I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. You are my inheritance, O Lord!”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 13:24-32)

“Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Jesus speaks to the disciples about the coming in glory of the Son of Man. At his coming, the stars will fall, the moon will no longer give light, and “the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” Echoing Daniel, who describes in apocalyptic language a “time unsurpassed distress,” Jesus conveys his return powerfully but also tenderly in terms of the fig tree branches becoming tender and sprouting leaves. “And then,” Jesus tells the disciples, “they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory” and that although heaven and earth pass away, his words—our inheritance of eternal life—will not pass away.

Father in heaven, teach me to be vigilant at all times for the return of your Son on a day and time I cannot know. In times of tribulation, help me call to mind your constant, tender care in leading me to you. In your presence is the path to life and the fullness of joy. Throughout the moments of this day, keep me in your presence and under your protection, as when we hear the priest say during the Mass after the Lord’s Prayer: “Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Perpetual adoration live stream Kolbe Shrine.

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father.” | Monday of the First Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 25:31-46)

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”

Jesus speaks to the disciples about his second coming and the criteria for judgment. In his glory, the Son of Man will sit upon his throne, all the angels with him, and all the nations will be assembled before him. “And he will separate them one from another,” Jesus says, “as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” To the ones who showed mercy to the hungry and thirsty, to the stranger and the naked, to the ill and those in prison, the Lord will say to them: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” To the ones who failed to show mercy, the Lord will say: “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.” Jesus makes clear beyond question how to treat others. In treating others with mercy, the person we care for, no matter their name, is Jesus: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

God, just as you spoke to the Israelites through Moses, you speak through Jesus, your final and best Word: “Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” In showing mercy to others, time after time I come to recognize my shortcomings and turn to Jesus as the perfect model of holiness. How much I need to recognize your mercy, Lord, as I do to others as I would have them do to me. Give me the grace, Lord, to be a brother, to have the opportunity to try again to be holy as you are holy. Show me today and help me see the face of Christ in those who need mercy.

From the responsorial psalm: “Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Be watchful! Be alert!” | First Sunday of Advent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (MK 13:33-37)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

Jesus compares watchfulness for his second coming to a man who travels abroad and returns at an unexpected time. While away from home, he places his servants in charge, each with work to do, and orders the gatekeeper to keep watch. Because the time of Christ’s return is unknown, it calls for constant vigilance and devotion to our faith—a perpetual Advent longing here on earth—to prepare us for the life of the world to come with God. That Jesus addresses not only the disciples but all of us is startlingly clear when he says, “What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch.'”

God, help me remain alert always but especially as Advent unfolds, where you reveal your love in sending all of us the Christ child, Emmanuel. So much of each day is taken up by routines and planned time, absorption in the moment at hand followed by absorption in the next planned moment at hand. Give me the grace to experience the coming of Christ, not by counting down the calendar to close another year, but with the kind of childlike faith and wonder that can’t wait to see what comes next. It is you I’m looking for, Lord, and most of the time I’m not aware of that. Let me watch for you with joyful expectation and be ready to come out to meet you in the midst of this day.

From the first reading: “Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?” Lord, give me the work of keeping watch for your return.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy.” | Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 21:34-36)

Jesus said to his disciples: “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 like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. 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.”

Today’s Gospel acclamation summarizes the few words of Jesus from today’s Gospel: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.” Jesus tells his disciples to keep their hearts from becoming drowsy by avoiding two seemingly unrelated behaviors: carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life. Both draw attention away from God: carousing and drunkenness, by outright rejection of reason; and the anxieties of daily life, by their pervasiveness and constant insistence that God will not supply what we need when we need it.

God, help me understand today’s Gospel. In speaking to the disciples, Jesus wants to guard not only their hearts but mine here and now against things in this life that would turn my gaze away from you. Your Son, who knew firsthand the anxieties of daily life, is my example and testifies on his own behalf through his life, death, and resurrection. Give me the grace to trust in your ways and be vigilant at all times. Keep me alert to your presence, Lord!

From the responsorial psalm: “Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Give glory and eternal praise to him.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Know that the Kingdom of God is near.” | Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 21:29-33)

Jesus told his disciples a parable. “Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near; in the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near. Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Jesus makes clear to the disciples what to look for at his second coming. Just as we observe signs on earth, as in the buds of the fig tree indicating the coming of summer, the unfolding of the fulfillment of God’s kingdom will be observable. “Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.” By saying this, Jesus reveals that he is the master of time and space. God’s sense of a moment in time is not ours but contains all moments; likewise, to him a generation is not one, but one and many at the same time. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” The kingdom of God is an everlasting kingdom, outlasting all of heaven and earth.

God, when I look up at the vastness of the night sky and see too many stars to count, I recognize the hand of the creator in the created. When I consider the fig tree and the buds of all other trees about to burst open, I see you at work in the world you made from nothing. You are the Ancient One that Daniel saw in a vision; in that same vision is Jesus, the Son of Man whose kingship will never be destroyed, an everlasting dominion. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus says, “but my words will not pass away.” God, help me see my role today in serving you in your creation, giving you glory and praise now and at the time of my redemption.

From the responsorial psalm: “Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Give glory and eternal praise to him!” For the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Lord, are yours now and for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking.” | Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 21:12-19)

Jesus said to the crowd: “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses the persecution that the disciples will face in giving witness to him. Powerlessly, they will be handed over out of hatred to the synagogues and prisons and led before authorities because of his name. Parents, brothers, relatives, and friends will hand them over, and some will be put to death. In Jesus’ time, the persecution of Christians had already begun at the start of his public ministry, and it continues today throughout the world. Yet, Jesus reassures us that giving witness to our faith will mean speaking words handed to us by Christ, given by him a wisdom that persecutors will be powerless to refute. And the result? “Not a hair on your head will be destroyed,” Jesus says. “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

God, help me persevere in giving witness to you and to the bridegroom Christ and to his bride, the Church. “You will be hated by all,” Jesus says, “because of my name.” When I encounter this, even if it is in the form of society’s polite way of dismissing what seems quaint or impotent, let me have courage to speak through the Holy Spirit the wisdom of Christ. Give me the opportunity today and every day to speak boldly to profess my faith in the eternal truth of the person of Jesus Christ.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Remain faithful until death, And I will give you the crown of life.” Lord, give me strength today to speak your name boldly.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Awesome sights and mighty signs.” | Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 21:5-11)

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here–the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

The words of Daniel in his interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream lay a foundation for today’s Gospel. In interpreting the king’s dream, Daniel says, “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed or delivered up to another people; rather, it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and put an end to them, and it shall stand forever.” In speaking to people who noted the costly stones and votive offerings adorning the temple, Jesus indicates a day when “there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Before the final fulfillment of God’s kingdom, there will be wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters. And there will be, as Jesus says, “awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” Remaining faithful to God, Jesus says, means not being led astray and following the voice of false prophets.

Father in heaven, you sent your Son to destroy death and restore life to all those who hear and follow you. For the times I hear but do not respond to you, strengthen my faith and help me return to you to praise and exalt you above all else. “Give glory and eternal praise to him,” the psalmist sings. Give me the grace to give you glory and praise through my words and actions today, offering you my “prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day.” When I falter, let me recall that you are “above all forever” and the power is yours to grasp me by the hand and fashion me according to your plan to prepare me for eternal life in your kingdom.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Remain faithful until death, And I will give you the crown of life.” Lord, teach me to trust in your ways.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.