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Catholic Last Days
Catholic Last Days Question: Do you believe we’re in the ‘last days’? Rev. GEOFFREY KERSLAKE is a priest of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Ottawa. For Catholic Christians the season of Advent is a time to prepare not only to celebrate the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, but also to prepare for his Second Coming when he returns in glory. However, Jesus himself tells us that no one knows the hour of his return and so he warned his disciples about the need to live their lives in such a way that they would always be prepared for his return, not fearing being surprised: “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).
Since the earliest days of the Church, people have been hoping for Christ’s return in glory and many people in history have predicted his imminent arrival. Although predictions of the “end times” are a popular way to get on TV or to sell books, Jesus explicitly told his followers not to pay attention to people purporting to know the hour when he would return: “(Some people) asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’ And he said, ‘Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and, “The time is near!” Do not go after them’ ” (Luke 21:7-8).
The truth is that only God knows when the end times will come as Jesus tells us: “‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:32-33). Spiritually mature Christians do not fear the end times (whenever they come) because they live each day prepared to meet their god.
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