Nov 30: Christians Ought to Desire Christ’s Last Advent

Tuesday after the First Sunday of Advent.
Christians ought to desire Christ s last Advent.

I. POINT.

“When these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand” (Luke 21:25).

What joy, what consolation for the just to see, in the glory of His majesty, Jesus Christ, whom they have followed and loved in the humility of His flesh; to see Him as the Supreme Judge of those who had unjustly condemned Him; to contemplate with their eyes His sacred humanity, the precious ark of our salvation (Ps 131:8), His adorable body, His life-giving wounds, whence will flow unceasingly, as from an inexhaustible source of love, the balm of heavenly sweetness. What a happiness, above all, to know with certainty that theywill be forever inseparably united to their Beloved! O ye heavens, we shall see in our flesh (Job 19:27), and with our own eyes Jesus, our God and our Saviour! That sweet and delicious hope which consoled the patience of Job, and which he preserved in his heart, can sustain us also in the trials of this life.

II. POINT.

Jesus, called “the desire of the everlasting hills” (Gen 49:26), should be the constant object of our desires; we ought to love His last coming (2 Tim 4:8); we should ask for it often with the saints, because on that day He will place all things directly under His power; He will overcome all His enemies and will ruleover them. On that day also the glory and the beatitude of the saints will be perfect, because their bodies will rise again, and “death will be swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor 15:54). The soul and body, which had been separated for a time, will be re-united to enjoy together the possession of God, and to bless and praise Him eternally. Lift up your hearts and rejoice on this day (Matt 5:12). Lord, may this blessed day not tarry, may Thy kingdom come! Come, Lord Jesus (Apoc 22:20), live and reign in us forever.

III. POINT.

Since Jesus is our sovereign Good, our only happiness consists in being united to Him; and since it is our greatest and an inconceivable misfortune to be separated from Him, we ought, then, to desire the former as much as we should fear the latter. We ought, above all things, to avoid offending so good a God, and constantly endeavor to please Him; we ought to tremble at the
very approach or shadow of sin, which alone can cause
us to lose Him. This fear is not only for sinners, but for the just also, as long as they are upon earth. “Fear the Lord, all ye that are His saints” said David (Ps 33:10); for, adds Job, even the pillars of heaven tremble and shudder before Him (Job 26:11 ). We should also attach ourselves to Him in this life with a
faithful and constant love, if we wish to possess Him forever in eternity; since, according to the saying of the apostle, “There is now, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not accord ing to the flesh” (Rom8:1).~By a Monk of Sept-Fonts.