The Last Judgment, 1534-41, Michelangelo[1]
The Mass readings of this last week of the liturgical year might be frightening: see for instance the passages from the Book of Daniel or the words of our Lord himself. He has assured us, however, that we should not be afraid. The context of these readings is rather one of serene expectation. The end of the liturgical year leans on the second coming of Christ, but the beginning of Advent—which also makes a reference to the final coming—, concentrates instead on the coming of the Savior in the flesh, and it is the flesh of a newborn.
The Love of Christ
The warning Be vigilant at all times and pray to have strength is another expression of the love of Christ for each one of us. Yes, He will come as a Judge but that does not mean He is not a Merciful Lord and our Savior. He is interested in our salvation, in our being with him for all eternity. After all, thinking of our last end and being prepared is a healthy practice.
On a Wednesday catechesis back in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI said: “The subject of the Resurrection … unfolds a new perspective, that of the expectation of the Lord’s return. It thus brings us to ponder on the relationship among the present time, the time of the Church and of the Kingdom of Christ, and the future (éschaton) that lies in store for us, when Christ will consign the Kingdom to his Father (cf. 1Cor 15:24). Every Christian discussion of the last things, called eschatology, always starts with the event of the Resurrection; in this event the last things have already begun and, in a certain sense, are already present…
Paul describes Christ’s parusia in especially vivid tones and with symbolic imagery which, however, conveys a simple and profound message: we shall ultimately be with the Lord for ever. Over and above the images, this is the essential message: our future is “to be with the Lord”. As believers, we are already with the Lord in our lifetime; our future, eternal life, has already begun.”
Parusia
And after examining the various aspects of the expectation of Christ’s parusia, the Pope asked: “what are the basic convictions of Christians as regards the last things: death, the end of the world? Their first conviction is the certainty that Jesus is Risen and is with the Father and thus is with us forever… The second is the certainty that Christ is with me. And just as the future world in Christ has already begun, this also provides the certainty of hope… Lastly, their third conviction is that the Judge who returns — at the same time as Judge and Saviour — has left us the duty to live in this world in accordance with his way of living.”2
Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord give us the grace of believing firmly in his resurrection, of being convinced that He is always with each one of us and to live according to our faith in Him by being vigilant at all times.
God bless you all,
Fr. Marcelo Javier Navarro Muñoz, IVE
Author: The Contribution of Cornelio Fabro to Fundamental Theology. Reason and Faith, Cambridge Scholars Publishing: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-9315-2
Poesía Sacra, Quemar las Naves, and Desde Fossanova, IVE Press: https://ivepress.org/
[1] https://art-now-and-then.blogspot.com/2014/06/art-and-jesus-second-coming.html, accessed 27 november, 2025.
2 https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/on-the-lords-second-coming-6959, accessed 27 november 2025.
