Advent 1 (year A)- Matthew 24:29-44

 This Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent, marks the beginning of a new church year. As many people are aware, the word Advent is derived from a Latin root meaning "to come." The readings for this Sunday all point to the coming of Christ and His kingdom. Each selection refers to some of the varied ways that God comes among His people.

The Gospel from Matthew 24:29-44 looks to Christ's future return for the last judgment. No one knows exactly when this will take place; so, our Lord exhorts us to be ready always. Advent is a special time for us to focus on our spiritual preparations to meet Christ both in our present life and at the end of history. We need to keep our lives centered on faith, Christ's teachings, and live as God expects. We must repent and seek renewal in thought, word, and deed.

Christ the King (year C)- Luke 23:27-43

 Many Christians designate the last Sunday of the church calendar as Christ the King Sunday. Although this observance is recent in liturgical history, the Holy Scriptures are filled with references to Christ's kingship. In addition, since ancient times, Christians have often spoken of the three offices or functions of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. Indeed, the very term Christ or Messiah refers to one who is anointed as king of God's people.

The Gospel from Luke 23:27-43 is set at the crucifixion of Jesus. In the account of the Passion, there are repeated references to His kingship. Jesus is crucified under the superscription Jesus Christ King of the Jews, but we must be perceptive in understanding His kingship. He does not meet worldly expectations of a forceful human king. He is not an obvious earthly king because His kingdom is spiritual. He is a ruler of hearts, minds, and souls. The penitent thief on a cross beside Jesus understands this spiritual dimension, and he asks to be included in Christ's kingdom. Jesus replies with the promise that the faithful penitent will be included in the heavenly kingdom. May we also understand and accept Jesus' spiritual kingship in our lives!

Pentecost 23 (year C proper 28)- Luke 21:5-28

Once again, a church year is drawing to a close, and the Scripture readings point us to the theme of earthly endings. The Gospel from Luke 21 contains several teachings of our Lord about the end of worldly things and the consummation of the divine kingdom. Many Christians are not very fond of these topics. Nevertheless, thoughts about these matters are aspects of human experience, and reflections about the last things (technically called "eschatology") are important teachings of Scripture. From our Lord's teachings in Luke 21, let us highlight three points.

Point 1. In Luke 21:8, Jesus warns us to beware of false messiahs or false leaders. Many false preachers, philosophers, politicians, educators, scientists, etc., claim the ability to solve all human problems. Sometimes, such people may be impressive, but they cannot bring true redemption; therefore, we should be cautious about all human leaders and institutions.

Point 2. In Luke 21:9-17, our Lord tells us to expect disorders, natural disasters, diseases, and times of persecution for as long as earthly life endures. Worldly chaos and danger are disturbing. They may test us, and they certainly remind us of the transitory nature of earthly life, but they do not mean that the end is coming immediately.

Point 3. In Luke 21:27-28, Christ concludes our selection. He reminds us that final redemption only comes through the divine Son of Man, that is, through our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. At the end of earthly history, the Savior will return “in a cloud with power and great glory.” So believers must always remain hopeful. During the worst of times in our individual lives and in world history, Christ is near His people. He encourages His followers to be confident because His redemption will come. In the end, God’s will shall be done, and His kingdom shall come!

These teachings from our Gospel have been Christian affirmations from the first century to our time. As Christians, Jesus Christ has given us a meaningful perspective on the problems of the world and the trials of our individual lives. We believe that God created this world and has a plan to redeem faithful souls. We acknowledge that evil has entered God’s good creation and that human beings have become corrupt. However, we also believe that the goodness, love, and grace of God will have the final say. The goodness of God in Jesus Christ has already won great victories over evil, and in the end, He will totally defeat evil!

Pentecost 22 (year C proper 27)- 2 Thessalonians 2; Luke 20:27-40

 This Sunday is the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, and we are moving toward the end of the church year. The readings for the latter part of the church year, as well as those at the beginning of Advent, highlight Christian teachings about the last or end things (in theological terminology called eschatology from the NT Greek eschatos, "last"). The Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Epistles and Gospels are filled with teachings about the last things, both about the end of worldly history and the end of individual earthly life.

We see two aspects of teachings about the last things in our readings from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17 and Luke 20:27-40. In 2 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul does two things. The Apostle warns believers about enduring worldly problems, which will lead to the man of sin (usually identified as the great Antichrist) and his defeat by Christ. Paul also encourages believers to hold on to their good traditions about the love, mercy, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 20:27-40 recounts an encounter between Jesus and some Sadducees over the topic of the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees were a party drawn from the Jewish priestly establishment, and they were very this-worldly in outlook. In particular, they did not expect any meaningful afterlife, and they ridiculed the idea of bodily resurrection. These Sadducees come to test Jesus by using an extreme and even ridiculous case about seven unfortunate brothers and one unfortunate woman. They don't expect any resurrection, but they want Jesus to answer the question, "To whom will the woman be married in the world to come?" 

Of course, Jesus sees their cynicism and refuses to play their legalistic game. He points out that life in the resurrected state will be different from life in this world. Marriage is a sacred and valuable institution for earthly life, but heavenly and spiritual life will transcend its categories. The basic identities of human beings will continue in the world to come, but the temporary conditions of earthly life will pass away. Resurrection life will leave behind worldly problems. It will be similar to the life of angels- spiritual and glorious.