Our priest homilized on the Second Coming this weekend. Of course it was the gospel of the wise and foolish virgins. The "end times" come up in the readings this time of year, but they aren't often a subject of Catholic homilies. But as he pointed out, Jesus said pretty plainly that he would be coming back, the same way he left.
There are the theologies of Jesus presence in the here and now; in the word and sacrament, in one another as the body of Christ, and in the suffering and marginalized. But the Parousia makes logical sense, in that we know that solar systems and worlds are finite, and won't last forever. Though I don't buy into all the end times lore that is floating around. One thing mentioned in passing in the homily was the "Three Days of Darkness", which is non-scriptural and defined as "..an eschatological belief (based on private revelation) within Catholicism which parallels the Ten Plagues against Egypt in the Book of Exodus". I don't see the case for that being true, and even if it is, there is nothing we can do about it.
I have speculated at times as to what would bring about The End. I don't hold to the view that it is human wickedness, otherwise it would have happened long since. It is said in scripture that Jesus himself did not know the day or the hour, in his human life on earth, that only the Father knew. I have thought perhaps it might be something such as a huge asteroid hitting the earth, or the sun suddenly going "red giant", which isn't supposed to happen yet for a few billion years. During the Cold War years I used to think it might happen from us "going nuclear" on one another. But in the end, God is the only one who knows, and it will be according to his decision, not something we have any control over.
It is certain that we all have our End Time, and if we are ready for that we don't have to worry about the End of Time.
The theme occurs in art, and also in music.
I like this hymn, to the tune of Helmsley, "Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending". It is from the Anglican tradition, I don't remember seeing it in Catholic hymnals.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lo+he+comes+with+clouds+Nassau+youtube&docid=608002979660564842&mid=AC73E8FB0BE9A1ABE859AC73E8FB0BE9A1ABE859&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
Also this one, which is a different style than the high church one above. It is "The Morning Trumpet", from an Appalachian evangelical tradition. It was originally written with shape notes, for unaccompanied singing by a congregation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_hmzy77eAE
I always liked "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder." Here's some guys I'd like to sing it with. I think they are from Sri Lanka: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iZrb6N6vdZ0
ReplyDeleteDoes the Church teach that we go to heaven (or the other places) immediately after we die? Or that we only go there at the End? The Anglicans teach that the dead rise only at the End. Otherwise Donne's poem The Relic makes no sense.
Of course, in the popular mind, our loved ones all go straight to Heaven immediately. But I sort of like the idea of all of us waking up at the same time and going together. Though it might not be a lot of fun to see those we love plummeting in the Wrong Direction.
As I understand it, we have the particular judgement right after death, which is a life review. Our souls then go to heaven, or pass through purgatory, or to the bad place (hopefully not!). The general judgement takes place at the end of time, and our bodies are resurrected in their glorified state, and restored to us. Anyway, that's the timeline I learned. But since eternity is outside of time, is that an accurate way of looking at it?
DeleteI have to think that we aren't just in a state of sleep after death and before the end of time; because we pray to the saints and pray for the holy souls. And remember the account of the Transfiguration; Moses and Elijah were with Jesus and they were in a glorified state. At the crucifixion Jesus told the repentant thief that "This day you shall be with me in Paradise."
To address Jean's question, it is my understanding that the Catholic Church teaches "souls" go to heaven, purgatory, or hell immediately after death. I put souls in quotes because it has never been at all clear to me what a soul without a body is or can do. Aquinas said the following: "Abraham's soul, properly speaking, is not Abraham himself, but a part of him (and the same as regards the others). Hence life in Abraham's soul does not suffice to make Abraham a living being, or to make the God of Abraham the God of a living man. But there needs to be life in the whole composite, i.e. the soul and body: and although this life were not actually when these words were uttered, it was in each part as ordained to the resurrection. Wherefore our Lord proves the resurrection with the greatest subtlety and efficacy." And yet we pray to the saints in heaven as if they are "normal people" who can hear, understand, and act on our behalf. And many expect that when they die they will meet and interact with their departed loved ones—as if disembodied souls can perceive each other and communicate.
ReplyDeleteI ran across an article some years ago by N.T. Wright in Christianity Today called Heaven Is Not Our Home that made a lot of sense to me. I will try to summarize it sometime in the near future. It does often seem the common belief among Catholics and other denominations is that the goal of Christians is to "get to heaven," as if that were the final resting place. Although the resurrection of the body is taught, exactly what resurrected bodies are supposed to do and how we are supposed to spend eternity doing as glorified bodies has never been clear to me.
The biblical scholars I read seem to suggest that the earliest followers of Jesus (including Paul) expected the Second Coming within the lifetimes of many people then alive. If that is the case, then does it still make sense to still be waiting?
Thanks, David. The article from 2008 is paywalled, so I look forward to your summary.
DeleteTrying to imagine existence in Heaven (or Elsewhere) defies my imagination.
Someone has to nominate "The Trumpet Shall Sound" from Handel's Messiah. Ah, to be alive and totally competent with a trumpet in the Christmas season. (Also Easter, for which it was intended.)
ReplyDeletePriests ought to stay away from Second Comings and Last Judgments because they don't know any more about them than I do. I am sure Matthew has it right as metaphor in Chapter 25. Heaven? Jesus absolutely believed in it; if he was wrong about that he was wrong about everything else.
Yes, Paul thought the end was coming soon, and we, who are stuck with only four dimensions (plus "Wedding Bell Blues") may think he was wrong. But Gerhard Lohfink offers the thought that "The purification that Christian theology speaks of is an event, not a place," and in God's dimensions that Final Judgment event can have been happening even as Paul waited and still be happening now in comparison with human time.
Tom, absolutely Handel's "The Trumpet Shall Sound" is one of the all time great musical compositions. I have said that I would like it for my funeral; but probably not, because I wouldn't be there to enjoy it and besides I don't know any trumpeters who could handel it.
DeleteAbout priests preaching on the End Times, I've no objection if they want to see what they can do with scriptural exegesis. However I do wish they would leave the stuff that came from non-canonical mystical fever dreams alone.
I think there is something to wbat you say about Gerhard Lohfink's theory that the final judgement is ongoing in God's dimensions. The Transfiguration accounts are what makes me lean in that direction. Apparently Moses and Elijah weren't just hanging around in Sheol waiting for stuff to happen.
"I don't know any trumpeters who could HANDEL it." Good one, Katherine.
DeleteOff topic - back to previous thread.
ReplyDeleteOne of the Irish responses to Biden’s election
https://www.irishpost.com/news/irish-broadcasters-powerful-tribute-to-biden-following-presidential-win-goes-viral-across-the-world-197211
Thanks Anne. That was good. I find it touching that they, and other Europeans, were worried about us. I was worried about us. Still am, to an extent, until the transfer happens. Can't believe they are still coddling Trump so he won't have a meltdown and break all the dishes.
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DeleteTrump is sending out appeals to fund the election challenges. From what I read, he hasn’t any chance of winning them. My personal theory about this - knowing the way he has operated in the past, misusing his foundations funds, and other funds he has raised, I suspect that any money leftover once they run out of voting fraud challenges will be used for his personal legal defenses post- presidency. This gives him incentive to drag it out as long as possible in order to raise as much money as possible. I doubt his voter fraud cases will make it to the Supreme Court, but don’t know enough about the laws involved to be sure it won’t.
DeleteAlan Dershowitz, whom I cordially despise, has an informative and dispassionate run-down on how Trump might obtain recounts or get votes thrown out. https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/525118-can-president-trump-win-his-election-challenges-in-court
DeleteBased on his tweets, he is fixated at the moment on recounts in Wisconsin and Georgia, where his margins may trigger automatic recounts anyway, and in getting late-arriving ballots thrown out in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania ballots were sequestered on order of the U.S. Supreme Court, which Pennsylvania electoral officials were doing anyway. I don't know how many of these sequestered ballots there are.
If Trump can get affidavits from GOP poll officials that they observed fraudulent or incorrect practices, he can contest the outcome in these areas. Official Republican poll watchers in Michigan have signed affidavits in Michigan's Detroit area, and a suit has been filed in Wayne County Circuit Court. I expect there are a lot of these types of suits being filed or about to be filed in "blue wall" states. https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/09/detroit-lawsuit-misconduct-elections/6218612002/
As I opined earlier, I say let him exhaust all his options. If Biden still wins, Trump will claim deep conspiracy and fraud, but fewer people will believe him. At least it helps restore faith in the election system.
IMO, it strains credulity that that even Democrats are so dumb that they would rig an election so that Trump would lose but in which Republicans would retain control of the Senate and gain House seats.
We return you now to the Second Coming, possibly already in progress ....
Thanks for the rundown, Jean. I have read that all the challenges so far have been rejected by the judges. But there are many to go.
ReplyDeleteSome of those were "stop the count" challenges like the one filed in Michigan. Trumpers claimed they were not allowed to witness the tabulation, but the counting had been completed already, so there was no counting to stop. And trained partisan observers and challengers were on site.
DeleteNow the effort is to try to round up affidavits of irregularities from GOP poll observers and challengers, and ultimately try to get enough ballots thrown out to flip some key states.
Based on the thin margins in several key states, Trump could flip the Electoral College vote in his favor by invalidating just over 107,000 ballots total in PA, AZ, NV, WI, and GA.*
That would make Trump president despite losing the popular vote by 4 million. That's rather chilling, IMO.
*Biden won Michigan by 148,000. It seems like wasted effort to try to flip the vote here. But suits are being filed.
The Second Coming and the election aftermath came together on NPR today when they played a comment from an Evangelical Christian and die-hard Trump supporter who believed the election was being stolen and all the turmoil was a sign the End Times were near.
ReplyDeleteSorry I missed that one. I knew God was punishing us with Covid for BLM/LGBTQ/abortion/socialism, but I couldn't figure out what he was punishing us for with Trump. I turns out that he is going to punish us even more for rejecting Trump. Oh. It all makes sense now. Not that the likes of you will ever understand.
DeleteTom, don't forget the Three Days of Darkness. You won't get smitten if you are marked with the Blood of the Lamb. But you can only see if you light a blessed beeswax candle. All other light will be extinguished. And all the irreligious will get smitten. Must be true. I saw it on the internet.
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