Jesus of Nazareth - Holy week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection (excerpts from pages 288-90)
But what is the position now in the Christian life regarding expectation of the Lord's return? Are we to expect him, or do we prefer not to? Even in his day, Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258) had to warn his readers not to neglect to pray for Christ's second coming through fear of great calamities or fear of death. Should this passing world be dearer to us than the Lord for whom we are actually waiting?
The Book of Revelation concludes with the promise of the Lord's return and with a prayer for it: "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (22:20).
It is the prayer of one who loves, one who is surrounded in the besieged city by all the dangers and terrors of destruction and can only wait for the arrival of the beloved who has the power to end the siege and to bring salvation. It is the hope-filled cry for Jesus to draw near in a situation of danger where he alone can help.
Christian prayer for the Lord's return always includes the experience of his presence. It is never purely focused on the future. The words of the risen Lord make the point: "I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:20).
He is with us now, and especially close in the Eucharistic presence. Yet, conversely, the Christian experience of the Lord's presence does include a certain tension toward the future, toward the moment when that presence will be definitively fulfilled: the presence is not yet complete. It pushes beyond itself. It sets us in motion toward the definitive.
Above are partial quotes of the pages. I wanted to quote more, but I'm trying to avoid violating the copyright. I own all three of these books, and I highly recommend purchasing them. They are available here at this link Jesus of Nazareth (Ignatius Press) or through Amazon.
Note: Hoping and praying for Jesus' Second Coming or the belief that it may be near (if Jesus returns in a few hundred years it would be "near" in God's way of looking at time) is not the same as claiming to know the date when Jesus will return. So I would appreciate it if no one confuses these things.
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