The Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 7, 2022
August3,2022
Wisdom 18:6 The night of the Passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that, with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage. Hebrews 11:1 Brothers and sisters: Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Luke 12:32 Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Luke 12: 40 You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
For many years there has been much interest in what some call “The Rapture.” According to this theory, when the Lord Jesus returns at the end of the world, some will be taken right up to heaven and the others will be left behind. Thus, a great deal has been made about the popular Left Behind series of books and even movies. According to most writers on this subject, those “left behind” are those who did not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior during their life on earth. These are the once saved always saved folks. Most of these writers would exclude Roman Catholics, because we do not fit into their definition of what is required to be a Christian. These relatively recent theories, maybe not even a century old, are supposedly Biblical. Yet there is no evidence for them in the Bible, unless some texts are stretched way beyond their obvious sense. In fact, they are neither Biblical nor part of Tradition. They are merely sensational proposals clearly meant to sell books and promote movies.
What is the Truth? The Church has always taught that the Lord Jesus will return. In fact, in the Bible it seems that many expected Him to return in the early days of Christianity. Obviously, this was not the Lord’s plan, but return He will when He is ready to complete the work of our Redemption. When He shall return we do not know; there is no specific date approved by the Scriptures or the Church. We simply do not know when. Yet we know that He will return at some point. We call this return of the Lord His Second Coming. That the world as we have known it will end is also clear. Yet we are not certain about all the details. Perhaps that is the reason many have speculated beyond what has actually been revealed to us.
The point of the Scriptures today is that we must always be ready. We must not lose hope or abandon a life of faith and love. There will be a General Judgment when the Lord returns, and souls will be placed in Heaven or Hell for all eternity. We will be judged according to the way we lived our lives in line with all that Jesus Christ has revealed. There is also a Particular Judgment at the time of death, in the period in which we are now living, before the Second Coming. Besides Heaven and Hell, it is very likely many souls will have to spend some time in Purgatory, preparing for Heaven. Only perfect, sinless souls can enter Heaven, thus the need for Purgatory for those who die in venial sins and/or those who die without having made up in proper penance for their sins, especially confessed and absolved mortal sins. God gives us a second chance after death. We are also certain that in the end we will be given back our bodies, which will be resurrected and glorified, similar to that of Jesus Christ and His Mother, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
The claim “once saved always saved” is not the teaching of the Bible nor the Tradition of the Church. We are not saved “by faith alone.” Salvation depends on faith and grace. In order to be found ready for the Lord we must die in the state of grace. Of course, we need to throw ourselves upon the tremendous love and mercy of God. The Scripture this week reminds us not to be presumptuous. We must do our all to respond to God in faith and love, which gives us the hope that all will turn out well in the end. Jesus wants us to have confidence that He will fulfill all His promises and will not let us down. He tells us: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom.”