If you are a diligent and vigilant student, you are prepared for a pop quiz or an exam at any time. So, it is not a big deal. But if you are not, then, you may get caught off guard by a pop quiz and receive poor marks. Literally, “to sin” means “to miss a mark” or “to fail to accomplish”, both in Hebrew (חָטָא/chata) and in Greek (ἁμαρτάνω/hamartano). So, it is due to your sin of unpreparedness to miss good marks on pop quiz.
In regard to
Parousia (return of Christ, Christ’s second coming), the same lesson of
preparedness can be applied. And this is reflected in the Gospel Reading of the
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Luke12:32-48), in which Jesus
says, “You also must be prepared, for at
an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come”(Luke 12:40).
Yes, we hear this clearly from Jesus. But we rather
prefer to know when, as students want to know when a professor gives pop
quizzes in advance so that they can prepare for them – just as in the case for
scheduled exams written in syllabuses.
So, as in Tony Renis’ song, “Quando, quando, quando”, we are tempted to ask the Lord when “quando” he will return, “Signore, dimmi quando tu verrai1, dimmi
quando, quando, quando l'anno, il giorno e l'ora in cui. Forse tu mi bacerai. Ogni istante attenderò fino a quando, quando,
quando. D'improvviso ti vedrò sorridente accanto a me!”(Lord, tell me when
you will come, tell me when, when, when the year, the day and the hour when. Maybe
you will kiss me. I will wait every moment until when when when. Suddenly I'll
see you smiling beside me).
Certainly, if we are ready to meet him when the Lord
returns, then, we sure will enjoy an intimate encounter with him, seeing him
smiling beside us. But if we are not prepared and ready to meet him upon his
return, therefore, being caught off guard at Prousia, according to Jesus, we would face condemnation (i.e. Luke
12:45-47, 48; cf. Matthew 25:41-46). We sure do not want to miss the marked
time at eschaton for his return. We
fear committing sin of missing this eschatological mark, resulting in eternal
condemnation. So we really want to know “quando”(when).
So we are tempted to ask Jesus when he would return.
Alas, even he cannot tell us when he would return, as only the Father knows
when (Matthew 24:36//Mark 13:32). But, we know he has said, “Behold, I am coming soon “(Revelation
22:12), “Yes, I am coming soon”(Revelation
22:20). And the first-century Christians took this literally, thinking that
Christ would return during their lifetime (i.e. James 5:8; 1 Peter 4:7). The
question that we are dying to know is “how soon” in our sense what Jesus meant
by “soon” is – though nobody, except the Father could tell. One thing for sure,
however, is that he will return to resurrect those who have been dead (i.e. 1
Thessalonians 4:16; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50-54) and to judge us in sorting “the
sheep” to be ushered into the Kingdom and “the goats” to be condemned to the
eternal fire (Matthew 25:31-46). And there will be the heavenly matrimony of
Christ the Lamb of God and us the Church (Revelation 19:6-9) and the heavenly
banquet with him for his victory over antichrists (Revelation 19:17-18). But
before his return there will be series of tribulations, represented with the
seven seals, seven trumpets, the seven plagues, and the seven bowls, as God’s
wrath rages against those who refuse to turn to Him (Revelation 6:1-16:21). In
order to be assembled before his heavenly throne, we must endure these trials
through our unwavering faith (i.e. Revelation 7:9-17).
Yes, the key is our faith to be kept steadfast.
So the only way for us to be sure is to be prepared
to meet Chris upon his return all the time. And our faith keeps us vigilant
always.
This is a grand theme for the Scripture readings of
the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C (Wisdom 18:6-9; Psalm
33:1, 12, 18-19, 20-22; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 12:32-48).
In the Gospel Reading (Luke 12:32-48), Jesus first touches
upon a theme from the Gospel Reading of the 18th Sunday (Luke
12:13-21); eschatological judgement against the greedy accumulation of material
wealth without sharing with those in greater need in vv. 32-34. Then he speaks
of the importance of the eschatological preparedness for his return in vv.
35-48.So, he commands:
Gird
your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s
return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks
(Luke 12:35-36).
This message reflects his parable of the ten
maidens, the wise five ones are ready to meet the bridegroom’s delayed arrival
while the other five are fool to be unprepared and thus missed his coming
(Matthew 25:1-13). And, Jesus’ statement, “gird
your loins”(Luke 12:35a) , which means, “to be dressed for an occasion”,
reflects these words from Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast (Matthew
22:1-14):
When
the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding
garment. He said to him, “My friend, how is it that you came in here without a
wedding garment?” But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his
attendants, “Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth”
(vv.11-13).
So, Jesus says:
Blessed
are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say
to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait
on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared
in this way, blessed are those servants (Luke 37-38).
It does not matter exactly when he returns. But
those who are found to have kept themselves vigilant for his arrival and ready
to greet him upon his return will be served at a banquet, which is reflected in
Psalm 23:5-6, as well as, in Revelation 19:17-18.
So, Jesus reiterated the importance of preparedness for his return:
Be
sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was
coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be
prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come
(Luke 12:39-40).
In other words, Jesus wants us to be prepared for
his return, which will more like to be unexpected surprise, as if we had known
when it would be.
Then Jesus further elaborates on the importance of the
preparedness for his return in terms of the trust between the master and his
servants, comparing and contrasting the servants who are worthy of the master’s
trust and those who are not (Luke
12:42-28). Those who keep their preparedness for the master’s return are those
who know his will and the ones worthy of his trust, while those who are
unprepared do not know his will and unworthy of his trust. And this segment
reflects Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30). In terms of the
servants unworthy of the master’s trust – those who are unprepared – are more
like the egregious tenant workers of the vineyard (Matthew 21:33-46).
The Second Reading (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19) tells us
how important faith is to be vigilant and prepared for Jesus’ unannounced
return at an unexpected hour as if we knew when, by an example of Abraham’s
steadfast faith. It is also reminded that our faithful ancestors during the
time of the Old Covenant (during the period of the Old Testament) did not
receive what they had been promised on earth before they died but had already
foreseen their heavenly rewards, as Abraham had a foresight into the unfolding
of God’s covenant with him, including Christ’s resurrection from the dead when
he brought Isaac as a sacrificial offering to Him (vv.8-19). After all, faith
enables us to foresee what is not seen yet – even it may means centuries and
centuries or millenniums and millenniums. So faith is defined as:
Faith
is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen
(Hebrews 11:1).
So, we live by faith, not by sight in our vigilant
and diligent preparation for Jesus’ return (i.e. 2 Corinthians 5:7). And, as
faith is closely associated with hope (i.e. Hebrews 11:1), see what Paul has to
say on this:
For
in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes
for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with
endurance. In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes
with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the
intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to
God’s will (Romans 8:24-27).
In these words, there is juxtaposition between faith
and hope. And, our hope-faith sure enables us to endure all adversities and
adversaries, keeping our vigilance for the preparedness. After all, it is all aided
by the Holy Spirit, as faith is a gift of
the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:9). And hope comes by the power of the
Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13) for faith (Galatians 5:5).
So the bottom line to endure tribulation and remain
vigilant and prepared all the time for Jesus return is to be filled with the Holy
Spirit! This is why he has promised and asked the Father to send down the Holy Spirit
(John 14:16-18), and this promise has been promised on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13).
Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit for your hope-faith to be vigilant
and prepared all the time for Jesus’ return – not to miss it?
The First Reading (Wisdom 18:6-9) is about God’s
deliverance of those who are faithful, in the example of Passover, reading
together with Wisdom 18:1-5.
On that night (Wisdom 18:6a), on the night of
Passover, those who were faithful and prepared for God’s passing over Egypt
with his judgement against all firstborns there were saved but those who were
not had to be destroyed. And faithful ancestors of the Israelites before this
salvific event had foresight into it.
The First Reading (Wisdom 18:6-9) and the Second
Reading (Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19) teach us that our faith-driven hope, empowered
by the Holy Spirit, enables us to foresee the coming of Jesus for his return
now. So, through faith, we keep our hope for a joyful encounter with Jesus upon
Parousia no matter when it may be,
without feeling anxious about “quando,
quendo, quando”. By faith, we can look forward to the pop-quiz-like Parousia without fear, because we know
we will not miss the mark as we can foresee it. And this is a character of
those who have been chosen by God, as reflected in the Responsorial Psalm (33:1,
12, 18-19, 20-22).
By and through our steadfast faith, powered by the
Holy Spirit, we can stay vigilant and ready for Parousia, though nobody, except for the Father, knows when, without
feeling anxious. But, we may humbly share this sentiment of St. Augustine of
Hippo, “Timeo Iesum transeuntem”(
I
fear the Lord passing by) (Sermon 88, 14, 13) and not to realize it for being
spiritually “blind”, as addressed in Pope Francis’ Address to the General
Audience on Wednesday, October 12, 2016, on vigilance. Let us not be like the
foolish maidens but be like the wine ones (Matthew 25:1-13), as we receive
necessary wisdom through the Holy Spirit (i.e. 1 Corinthians 12:8) so that we
may be able to foresee Jesus’ passing beforehand, as Daniel had a prophetic
foresight of his second coming (i.e. Daniel 1:17; 7:9-14). We shall not let
Jesus pass by us unnoticed and miss his return.
By being filled with the Holy Spirit to be equipped with
steadfast faith-hope and wisdom for foresight, we sure cannot be fool to fail the
Lord’s eschatological “pop quiz” of Parousia!
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