As It Is In Heaven

We all need something to look forward to. We thrive on an upcoming event, like a vacation, a wedding, a graduation or birth of a baby—or even just a Friday or a weekend break. We wait with anticipation for the next big thing. It keeps our attention, and we focus on the preparation that comes with it. It’s almost as if our desire to look ahead gives us strength to get through today. Have you noticed that waiting in anticipation for something has the power to change the way we live each day? It may transform what we think about or draw in to. And I think we can all agree that it is easier to get through tough times if we have something to look forward to.

As we journey through this Advent and Christmas season, what are we looking forward to? Of course, we are waiting to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, and the beautiful feast of love incarnate when God became man to save us. But we are also in waiting and preparation for another big event—His second coming.

The Second Advent

Most of us probably have not thought much about the Second Coming, sometimes called the “Second Advent.” As Christians, we generally know and believe that God will come again, at the end of the world. You might picture the end times, “the rapture” as some call it, as the moment of judgement when we are accepted or denied, when our bodies will be resurrected. We really only have a handful of Scriptures in the Bible to indicate what these end times will be like. Truly, the only thing we do know for sure, is that we do not know when it will be. We know that we are told to “keep watch” because we “do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). Paul says, “We who are alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Fear of being “left behind” or the thought of gloom-and-doom tribulations may be overwhelming. Contrary to popular belief, Biblical theology actually shows that we want to be “left behind” as opposed to being taken. The truth is however that we will never come to a perfect answer because our earthly minds do not have the capacity to truly understand or grasp His full picture. We must humble ourselves and trust God to reveal what He chooses to in His own time; and meanwhile, it’s okay to sit with the questions. But regardless of the details of these eschatological, or end-time, ideologies, the bottom line is, we should be excited, not afraid. Why? Because every day is one day closer to our final Advent of being with Jesus. I ultimately know Heaven is my home, so I choose to wait with joyful hope rather than fear. And I don't know about you, but whether or not I see the end times in my lifetime, when He calls me home, I'm running into His arms. (If you have interest in eschatological theology, I encourage you to research and learn and seek. I know someone who’d love to chat about it with you).

“The Lord does not delay His promise, but He is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…” (2 Peter 3:9-10).

“Before I come as a Just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of my Justice.” (Text from Our Lord to St. Faustina, Diary 1146)

Thy Kingdom Come

No one knows exactly what the Second Coming will be like. But we do know WHO he is, and we believe He will keep His promise to come again. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” We are praying for God’s eternal kingdom to come down to Earth and the salvation of the world. For those of us who are Catholic, we proclaim the Second Coming in the Creed when we say, “He will come to judge the living and the dead” and “we look forward to the life of the world to come.” And we say, “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.”

“But according to His promise, we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before Him, at peace and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3: 13-15).

A Broken World

So my question is, are we living like this is what we believe? How would we live differently? We must consider that the way the world is now is not how it’s always going to be. The pain and suffering we see here today in our world and in our community—it is temporary. That’s the Good News. I know this may not lessen the pain, and that sometimes, the battle between good and evil feels so apparent that we are tempted to fall into the negativity of the world. But let’s commit to looking to God and looking to our salvation as the ultimate goal. We can learn, almost train ourselves, to desire it as we wait in joyful anticipation for the day when we see Him face-to-face, unveiled and fully revealed to us. For Christians, we believe history has a purpose and our lives have meaning. And this is all moving on a trajectory toward the final culmination when Christ comes again, when all meaning and purpose woven throughout history will come together. Friends, God is good. Heaven is real. And Jesus is coming back. This is not the end of the story. I’m ready to see the joy, the hope, and the truth come to fulfillment.

"More, and on a deeper level than ever before, we really know this time that all of life is Advent." - Father Alfred Delp, Jesuit presient & martyr of the Nazi Regime

For Thine is the Glory

So how can this change how we wait? In today’s society, we don’t like to wait. I’d even say we don’t know HOW to wait. But this is the perfect time for us to learn. Waiting allows our hearts to expand, to grow, to be more receptive to Him. It beckons a transformation within us. It calls us to be seekers of His truth. Consider what He might want you to learn during this time that He is inviting you into this season of waiting, with all of its questions. Take this opportunity to ask Him how he would want you to live, and ask for His forgiveness. Pray for the second coming. It has a way of putting everything else into perspective. Value the world for what it is, and continue to seek Christ for the rest.

“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.” ― L.R. Knost

So friends, as we wait anxiously for the Second Coming, let’s wait with intention. Let's humble ourselves to His design. Let’s enjoy the glimpses of Heaven that we have on Earth. And let’s actively choose hope.

Lord, thank you for loving us so very much. Teach us to desire Your second coming. We long for more of you. Forgive us for grasping at only what we can see. We remember that in Your resurrection, You have set us free. We will make a home for You in our hearts this Christmas. And we will wait in joyful hope for Your return, as we believe Your Kingdom is at hand. Amen.