We read in the Gospel of Luke 21:5-11 a moment where Jesus speaks with his disciples and persons were near to Him on things signalling the end of time. Jesus alerts, saying: “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.”Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”.

Jesus speaks of the destruction of the temple and of the signs that will happen before his arrival the second time. There are realities that shock us, realities of destruction, of natural catastrophies, of wars and disagreements. We are in the time between his ascension to Heaven and his second glorious coming and we witness all these things. we are witnesses of these happenings and this should not frighten us. Jesus said: “do be terrified.”

The expectation of the second coming of Jesus marked profoundly the life of the first Christians and should also mark our life as the Church. we should keep his second coming in joyful expectation. We should say with the Word of God “Maranathá, come Lord Jesus.

But the interesting thing also is that the expectation of the coming of Jesus generated in the first Christians, in the apostles, a missionary ardor, a desire to announce it to the whole world. It is not a passive hope, nor a fearful one, very much the opposite. While He has not yet arrived, we begin by announcing Him to men.

In all the Masses, after the priest says: This is the mystery of faith”. The Church responds with faith: We announce, Lord, your death, and proclaim your resurrection, come Lord Jesus”. This is our faith. This is our life. Announcing the love of Jesus that he loves us until the end. On the cross, proclaiming your resurrection, your victory over death and in joyful expectation: Come Lord Jesus .

That our life may be in constant expectation of the second coming of the Lord.

Father Clovis

translated from Portuguese