Love beyond judgement

Sunday 1 of Advent - 3 December 2006

Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 24; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28,34-36

In Luke's Gospel today Jesus himself tells us that he will come for a second time as a judge at the end of things. He does this out of love, to give us time to grow. Indeed, His coming in the flesh two thousand years ago was already an act of judgement. For in Him judgement is love and love is judgement. He loves us so much that He judged it worthy to become one of us.

What shall I do then, to prepare myself for His second coming? ‘Pray’ he says ‘to have strength’. So I look on his Sacred Face, a token of His first coming, and I know that I do not belong here. I bear the seal of Christ on my soul and I belong to where He, my Head, is. I feel as though I were standing on the seashore facing its vastness and longing to see what is beyond horizon.

I look for the signs of His second coming: the sea roars, stars fall, there is famine, and unceasing wars, innocent people die everyday and everywhere. Is it close, Lord, the hour of your coming?

And then I know: although not yet present, as He will be in His glorious body, Christ is already with me. And so is His judgement, but - as I now see clearly - it is my choices that pronounce a judgement on me, even before He says: 'I love you'. Will I choose Him or the things of the world? I pray that He may increase my love for God and my brethren and confirm my freedom to choose good works.