Second Coming of Christ!

Everyone wants to know the answer to the billion dollar question: When is the world going to end? And no one wants to answer exactly why they want to know the answer! A great advertisement now of the movie 2012 of the Mayan calendar. There are other predictions that are around too: Novelty Coincidence Dec 2012, Pope Leo XI declaration in 2014 – after 500 years, mystical number 666 according to which it should be 2028, Asteroid 1997 – 2028 Oct 26^th and thousand other predictions.

Almost all cultures and civilizations have their practice of calendars. What the world is using now is the Gregorian calendar put to use by Pope Gregory XIII who lived in 1502-1585. Different logic and astronomy merged with different spiritualities were used in devising a calendar. Scientifically it is impossible to pin point when God created the world. We don’t even know for sure when Christ was born. When devising a calendar the priest astronomers took into account a limited area of concern such as for a particular people, land and ecological environment. No one calendar was intended for the whole world till the Gregorian calendar.

What if God says you have only 3 months to live as a church! You are all going to die! What would you do? Our last days will be filled with goodness: a much better husband, much better wife, much better citizen, and much better neighbor – better than what we are now. The most important question to ask here is why do we need to be under threat of death to be better stewards? (Mary W. Anderson). Why should our goodness be always under the pretext of fear or a condition? I go to mass, confession and make sure I receive the anointing because – of the fear of going to hell??? I do these things because I know the value of grace in my life and how these help me to be close to God!

Who would have guessed that Jesus would be born to Mary and Joseph in a manger? Of all prophesies that talked about the 1^st coming of Jesus, how much more unpredictable his 2^nd coming will be! The intensity of the love of the Father is shown in giving his Son for us; in the same way the 2^nd coming will be a moment of immense grace. Jesus in the 2^nd coming will bring same powerful message of Love suited to our digital world filled with anger and corruption; war and intolerance, chaos and confusion. (if the teacher is so fearful, students can’t learn properly) Jesus 2^nd coming should never bring fear; rather it should increase faith, hope and love in everyone.

Our commitment to serve God and God alone is a great preparation for the 2^nd coming of the Messiah. He could come in any form, any time, and any circumstances. Jesus reveals his humility when he talked about the Parousia. If all cultures and civilizations plan out a 2^nd coming, we would end up telling everyone 100s of dates and times and boast on possessing more knowledge than the person coming that is Jesus himself! Our duty here is to prepare the way for him like John the Baptist. We have a responsibility to cover, and an obligation to fulfill: to prepare our hearts, our communities, our societies and our countries for that glorious event! When the son of man comes, will he find faith?