Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are drawing to the end of the liturgical year which will culminate next Sunday as we celebrate Christ the King of the Universe (Nov. 20th). The Scriptures of today are eschatological in nature, that is, they remind us that this world is passing and thus we need to live in a state of preparedness. Our Lord does not want us to be fearful but rather expectant and hopeful as we await the Parousia-His Second Coming. The preparedness is our being in the state of grace by following the Ten Commandments and Eight Beatitudes, loving God and our neighbor. When we are faithful to the Lord, there is nothing to fear.

Since we know not the hour nor the day of His return we heed St. Paul’s encouragement to be about our daily tasks, not in idleness or grumbling but rather in sincere devotion and attention to our labours. After all, we have now been waiting for two thousand years and sometimes we can become sluggish in our anticipation of the Lord’s return. When we consider the Sacred Scriptures as a whole, we come to understand that God operates in millennia: Abraham 1850 BC; Moses 1500 BC: Israel’s exile in Egypt 430 years: King David 1000 BC; Our Lord’s First Coming 2 millennia ago. So why should our time frame be any different? In due time God’s purpose will be accomplished. In the meantime, we wait with patient endurance, cheerful hopefulness and gratitude for the mercy God extended to us most especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which restores us to the state of grace.

With Blessings,
Father Langan