"The Comings of the Lord"

Over the last few weeks, we have heard several gospel passages which have all addressed the parousia, or the second coming of Christ. These texts not only ended one liturgical year but also began the season of Advent. If you recall in last week's gospel, our Lord advised his disciples to "Be watchful! Be alert, for you do not know when the time will come." Two weeks ago, we heard Matthew's text about the separation of the sheep from the goats, the good from the bad, on the last judgment day. And in the prior weeks, we heard the parables of the servants and the talents, and the wise virgins.

Now in today's text, we hear the beginning of Mark's gospel which recounts the familiar words about John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the first, or physical coming of Christ in human form. This certainly seems appropriate as we prepare to celebrate our annual remembrance of Christ's coming in the flesh at Christmas. So in no uncertain terms, the Church has been reminding us over these few weeks of the two comings of Christ: first in the flesh as one like us and the second in glory at the end of time.

But believe it or not, there is a third coming of Christ, one which occurs at every second of every minute of every hour of every day. This point was brought home to me very emphatically this past week. As you know, all priests, deacons and religious are required to recite two parts of the Liturgy of the Hours, namely, morning and evening prayer (1). But there are four other parts of the Divine Office which are primarily recited by contemplative priests, brothers and religious. These are: Mid-morning, Mid-day, Mid-afternoon and Night Prayer, which are obviously said at very specific times of the day. But there is also a seventh Office, called the Office of Readings, which may be prayed at any time of the day. Normally, I do not pray this office, but for some reason, I felt compelled this past Wednesday to read the readings for the day. It was there that I encountered the following illuminating observation from one of the Church Fathers, St. Bernard.

We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced. The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.

Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation.

In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.

This passage raises two questions in my mind: first, when is Christ's coming in us? The answer is that it can be anywhere and at any time. Sometimes, he may come to us and totally change the direction of our lives. But more often, he comes to us in less dramatic fashion in our daily lives. If you think about it, as our journey of life continues, there may well be events which cause us to lose our focus, perhaps to even question our faith. It is at times such as these that events occur which make us sit up and take notice, and realize that some redirection of our lives is necessary.

A story is told about a twelve-year-old boy and his father who were doing some last-minute Christmas shopping. They were caught up in the bustling crowd and moving quickly when, suddenly, the boy flinched. An old beggar had touched his arm, hoping the boy would give him some money. The father saw what happened and took the boy aside to explain that he should have a more compassionate attitude. His son didn't agree. He saw the old man as nothing more than a dirty bum, but the father saw him as a human being. Pressing a large bill into his son's hand, the boy was encouraged to give it to the beggar in the spirit of Christmas.

The boy obeyed his father and when the old beggar received the generous sum, he seemed to stand taller. Suddenly his face took on character and his eyes twinkled. The boy was startled at the dramatic change. The old man bowed to the boy and thanked him--and in the spirit of Christmas he added, "May God bless you." The boy learned a lesson that would stay with him the rest of his life. That day he realized that dignity rests in the soul of every human being, regardless of the outward appearance.

The boy who learned that valuable lesson that day was none other than Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who would grow up to become a very well-known preacher and minister. Perhaps it was not a life-changing experience for him, but at the very least, it brought him to a profound new realization about the worth of every human person.

So now we know that Christ can come to us at any time and in the most unexpected manner. The second question which I believe our earlier passage raised is: where is God's word to be kept? I believe that the answer to this question can be found in the following story.

It was a busy day in our Costa Mesa, California, home. But then, with 10 children and one on the way, every day was a bit hectic. On this particular day, however, I was having trouble doing even routine chores--all because of one little boy. Len, who was three at the time, was on my heels no matter where I went. Whenever I stopped to do something and turned back around, I would trip over him. Several times, I patiently suggested fun activities to keep him occupied. "Wouldn't you like to play on the swing set?" I asked again. But he simply smiled an innocent smile and said, "Oh, that's all right, Mommy. I'd rather be in here with you." Then he continued to bounce happily along behind me. After stepping on his toes for the fifth time, I began to lose my patience and insisted that he go outside and play with the other children. When I asked him why he was acting this way, he looked up at me with sweet green eyes and said, ''Well, Mommy, my teacher told me to walk in Jesus' footsteps. But I can't see him, so I'm walking in yours." I gathered Len in my arms and held him close. Tears of love and humility spilled over from the prayer that grew in my heart--a prayer of thanks for the simple, yet beautiful perspective of a three-year-old boy. In the book of Jeremiah, it is written: I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts (Jer. 31:33). And so it is that God's law is to be kept in our hearts. And what is God's law? It is a law of love, something that it is easy to lose sight of in the pressures of everyday living. And so our journey of life is a constant tug between losing our focus and then finding it again.

I would like to close with these words from St. Bernard:

Keep God's word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat your bread, or your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and strength.

If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new. This coming will fulfill what is written: As we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly man. Just as Adam's sin spread through all mankind and took hold of all, so Christ, who created and redeemed all, will glorify all, once he takes possession of all.

Keep the word of God in your heart and it will keep you. As John reminded his listeners, we must "make ready the way of the Lord", the way that leads to our hearts. If we keep the word, then as we prepare to remember his first coming in the flesh, we will also be preparing ourselves for his second coming at the end of time. Even more, we will be more prepared for his coming into our daily lives. And most of all, we will know the peace that comes only from the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.



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