Christ the Judge and Mary, Sistine Chapel, (Michelangelo Buonarotti)[1]
And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you;
May his goodness toward us endure in Israel
to deliver us in our days.
Sir 50:22-24
[1] https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giudizio_universale_(Michelangelo), 27 November 2024.
Dear Friends:
We celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King last Sunday. The conclusion of the liturgical year is always an opportunity to reflect on the past as well as on the things to come, the “uncertain” future; perhaps nowadays more uncertain than ever due to the chaotic situation our world is in. Peace seems to have gone away and is not willing to return… When man lives without God there can be no peace, and everyone suffers.
The positive side of things is that creation belongs to God, and even if it seems to be totally in the hands of men, it is not. History is open: from creation to the second coming of Our Lord. And the liturgical year helps us put things in perspective. We were created for happiness: man sinned, God restored man’s image through the Incarnation of Christ, and he will come again!
Thus, we go from the eschatological flavor of the last Sunday in Ordinary Time to the first Sunday of Advent which keeps the same tone: The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise (Jer 33), but only to renew our hope. Why?:
- Because we have already experienced the first coming of Christ: we celebrate it in the liturgy.
- Because we have experience of the “intermediate” coming of Christ to our souls through his grace. We celebrate it through the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation and the Eucharist. In fact, all the sacraments bring God’s grace to our hearts.
- And because we renew our hope in his final coming as Judge, but also as a merciful judge. As we see in the beautiful fresco of the Sistine Chapel, Christ the Judge doesn’t look so fearful and his Mother, our Advocate, is next to him.
Hope
And between Christ the King and the first Sunday of Advent we celebrated Thanksgiving, a feast of hope because He came and because He will come again. We are grateful because we have a firm hope. Yesterday’s reading on the occasion of Thanksgiving (see text above) reminds us that the Lord has done wondrous things, and for that we are grateful. And because we have the firm hope that he will perform even more great things for us.
Gratitude is one of the main characteristics of being a Christian. Let us continue to give thanks and extend our gratitude throughout the Advent Season.
May the Lord bless you all.
P.S. Please pray for Father Marcelo on the 30th anniversary of his ordination, which is today!
Author: The Contribution of Cornelio Fabro to Fundamental Theology. Reason and Faith, Cambridge Scholars Publishing: htps://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-9315-2
Poesía Sacra, Quemar las Naves, and Desde Fossanova, IVE Press: htps://ivepress.org/
