Jesus confirms there will be obvious signs for His Second Coming. Every Catholic man can grow in happiness by pursuing the Virtue of Hope by faithfully practicing the Catholic faith and by building the Virtue of Truth so he can more fervently know, love and proclaim the Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Liturgy
34th Week in Ordinary time – Friday – Lk 21:29-33
Commentary
To prepare His current and future disciples, Jesus warns of the coming destruction of Jerusalem preceding His Second Coming, but does not confirm the precise time that He will come again in glory. The days building up to His Second Coming will be stressful, particularly for unbelievers: the entire world will be shaken and in chaos. Jesus reassures His disciples, promising the great upheaval will be a joyous time for those about to be redeemed by the Son of Man.
Having asserted that signs in the heavens and on earth will accompany His Second Coming, Jesus points to His Creation to help the disciples recognize and believe what He has revealed. Just as the leafing out of trees is a perennial sign of summer, so too the chaos which accompanies His Second Coming will be a sure sign. Jesus assures that His Second Coming will be fruitful, bringing new spiritual food, just like the trees that perennially provide men with food (figs). The Kingdom of Heaven, which already exists after His Resurrection, is like a tree in winter which exists but comes into fullness when it blooms in the summer; this will occur at the Second Coming.
Jesus’ statement, “this generation will not pass away until all has taken place”, can be confusing; two thousand years and many generations have passed, but the Second Coming has not yet occurred. Affirming that Scripture is inerrant (CCC 107), several explanations have been given: 1) Jesus’ use of “generation” refers to all humans (the evil generation of all mankind) up until the Second Coming; 2) Jesus use of “this generation” refers to the specific generation which is alive when the tumultuous signs that precede the Second Coming occur. While the precise meaning of His words and the timing of His Second Coming remains shrouded in mystery, men can be assured by the promise of Jesus: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
Be awed by Jesus Christ
Marvel that Jesus, the Divine Prophet, accurately describes the future destruction of the great walled city of Jerusalem and its precise timing (within one generation), a prophecy that would have been unbelievable given the massive size and longevity of the city of Jerusalem; His prophecy clearly comes to pass only 40 years later in 70 A.D., when Jerusalem is completely destroyed and many hundreds of thousands of Jews are killed by the Romans.
Practice Catholicism to grow in hope
Realize: Across the generations, when chaos occurs, many try to find hope by thinking the Second Coming is imminent; when faced with chaos, every Catholic man should avoid speculating about the Second Coming and instead find hope in the blessings of the Church.
Believe: Reflect upon Hope (CCC 1817-1821).
Pray: Almighty Father, help me build the Virtue of Hope so I do not fall into despair in times of chaos, and I am strengthened in hope and happiness by ardently practicing the faith of Your Holy Catholic Church.
Know, love, and proclaim the Truth of Christ
Realize: Even in the current evil and relativistic culture in which the elites and masses claim there is no truth, and men are encouraged to pursue every selfish pleasure, Jesus remains the Truth (Jn 14:6) that, “will never pass away.”
Believe: Reflect upon Living in the Truth (CCC 2465-2470).
Pray: Jesus, Divine Truth, help me build the Virtue of Truth (a part of Justice) so I strive to know Your Truth, I am guided to live by Your Truth, and I proclaim Your Truth so others are received into Your Holy Catholic Church.