24th & Last Sunday after Pentecost – November 21, 2010
(Mt. 24:15-35)
The past few Sundays we have been concerned with the end of time and the Second Coming of Christ. Today we will continue that theme but with added prayers of desire and praise for our Lord and King. We will end by looking forward to the joy of Christmas time.
Christ’s Second Coming will be in judgment, and will be the consummation of His work on Earth and the proof of His triumph. Sinners and the ungodly will then understand how the Lord made all things for Himself (Proverbs 16: 4), and will see His followers at last avenged for that slavery of sin forced upon us by the sin of our first parents (Romans 8: 21).
The trumpet of the Archangel, that will ring through the graves of the just will be a signal calling them not to death but to life in their bodies which will then be glorified (Romans 8: 23), calling them to the passing over to the true Promised Land, and calling them back to life to see the destruction of the old enemy, Satan. What joy for those that have by their faith lived in Christ and loved Him without seeing Him! (1 St. Peter 1: 8) Notwithstanding the weakness of the flesh, the just continue Christ’s life of suffering and humiliation, but in His triumph they will be delivered from sin forever, and in their new, immortal, undying bodies they will be carried before Christ’s face to be forever with Him. (1 Thessalonians 4: 16)
The just will assist on that great day at the glorification of Thee, dear Lord, by the clear demonstration of the power which was given to Thee over all flesh (John 17: 2). Then, O Emmanuel, crushing the head of kings and making Thine enemies thy footstool (Psalm 109, KJV: 110) Thou wilt be seen as the one Ruler of all nations (Psalm 2). Then, O Lord, heaven and earth will bend their knees (Philippians 2: 10) before that Son of Man, when Thou appeared on earth as a slave, were unjustly judged, condemned and put to death between two thieves. Then, Lord, Thou wilt judge the unjust judges, the judges whom you told, even in the midst of Thine humiliating Passion, of Thy Second Coming on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26: 64). Then, after the un-appealable sentence has been passed down by Thee, the Highest Judge, the wicked shall go to everlasting torments, and the just to life eternal (Matthew 25: 46).
St. Paul tells us that then, having been proclaimed undisputed King, Thou wilt give to Thy eternal Father this Thy kingdom won through death. It will be the perfect homage of Thee, the Head, and of all Thy faithful members. God will thus be all in all (1 Corinthians 15: 24-28). This will be the perfect accomplishment, Lord, of that sublime prayer which Thou taught mankind to make and which we daily offer up to the Father who is in heaven, saying to Him, “Hallowed be Thy name! Thy kingdom come! Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven!”
On this peaceful day, Lord, blasphemy will cease, our poor earth will be cleansed by fire from the filth of sin and will be turned into a new paradise! We can thrill at the thought of that last day of time, which ushers in beautiful eternity. Even today we can despise the agonies of our last hour when we remember that our sufferings have really only one meaning: that the Son of Man is close, even at the very doors! (Mark 13: 29)
Lord Jesus Christ, detach us more every year from this world, whose fashions pass away quickly, where we work for gold which we leave behind, where we seek glory which is soon forgotten in the grave, and where we easily trade eternal joy for a few moments of pleasure. You have foretold that the world will not give any thought to Thy approaching coming, just as in the days of Noe and Sodom when destruction came suddenly. Men will go on with their business affairs, feasting and amusements because in their opinion Christ and His Church are worn-out ideas. Men will persecute Holy Mother Church in ways never before known in history, but they do not realize that their persecutions are an announcement of the eternal nuptials which are close at hand. The Church is the Bride of Christ, and all the trials she goes through will become jewels given to this Bride to complete her beauty at the end of time. The blood of her last martyrs will color her splendid robes with the richness of royal crimson.
And for us today, Lord? We turn our ears to the echoes of our home above; “and, from the throne of our God, we hear going forth the voice heard by Thy beloved prophet of Patmos, St. John the Evangelist: ‘Give praise unto our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, little and great! Alleluia! For the Lord our God the almighty hath reigned! Let us be glad and rejoice, and give glory unto Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath prepared herself!’ (Apocalypse 19: 5-7) Yet a little while, till the number of our brethren be made up (Apocalypse 6: 11); and then, with the Spirit and the bride, we will say to Thee . ... ‘Come, Lord Jesus!’ (Apocalypse 22: 17) Come, and perfect us in love, by eternal union, unto the glory of the Father, and of Thyself the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever!” Amen. +++
(Thanks to Abbot Gueranger for today’s sermon)
Next Sunday, November 28th begins Advent, the season of hope. It is the time when we prepare for the celebration of the birth of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. It will be 28 days until Christmas morning, 28 days during which we can prepare our souls for the Lord through prayer and fasting. Make time to receive the Sacrament of Confession before Christmas. Remember the Holy Day of Obligation on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Remember also the Ember Days starting on Wednesday, December 15th. These are days of fast and abstinence. And remember lastly that the birth of Jesus marks the beginning of the fulfillment of all the promises made by God to His beloved Chosen People: “Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5: 17)
We Celebrate the Traditional Tridentine Latin Mass:
No comments:
Post a Comment