Working for the Word

Focusing the Gospel

Key words and phrases: what is coming upon the world, great glory, Be vigilant, stand before the Son of Man

To the point: This Gospel is not really about the end of the world; it is about the completion of the kingdom. The Second Coming is not a deadline; it is an invitation and incentive to live in a certain way in the present time. The Gospel calls us to be vigilant not about a future event but about a present way of living shaped by the Jesus before whom we stand. Our destiny is to share in the Son of Man’s “great glory.”

Connecting the Gospel …

… to the First Reading: The Second Reading spells out quite clearly what our daily vigilance looks like. We are to abound in love, be blameless in holiness, conduct ourselves to be pleasing to God, receive instructions given “through the Lord Jesus.”

… to experience: Given our present experience of wars, poverty, natural disasters, some people conclude that the end of the world is at hand and are fearful. Rather than inviting fear of an imminent end, these same things call us to become more vigilant about the way we live and witness to the Gospel.

**From Saint Louis University