The Coming of the Son of Man

Today's Reflections

The Coming of the Son of Man 

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Mk 13:24-32

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ²⁴“In those days after that tribulation/ the sun will be darkened,/ and the moon will not give its light,/ ²⁵and the stars will be falling from the sky,/ and the powers in the heavens will be shaken./ ²⁶And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory, ²⁷and then he will send out the angels and gather [his] elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

²⁸“Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates. ³⁰Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³²“But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Reflection:

Know that he is near. The Gospel speaks of the coming of the Son of Man, also known as the end times or the end of the world. The scenes of terrible destruction—among them, the darkening of the sun and the moon and the disappearance of the stars from the heavens—evoke great fear. But the focus of Jesus is not the disaster that happens but the new life that begins. He points to the fig tree: in winter the tree sheds off its leaves and looks dead. But when winter is past, it sprouts leaves and soon produces fruits.

Jesus is preparing his disciples for the dawning of a new era in human history after the earthly powers have passed away. It will actually be God’s era in human history. It is easy to picture God descending from heaven, but what will take place is a coming to God, and an enthronement in heaven.

The signs that we will witness point to the beginning of something infinitely greater than what we now have. There will be a gathering of the elect in the church. All believers who are faithful to the gospel will come to praise and worship the Son of Man. The faithful servants will partake of God’s life in the Eucharist, and all will be made whole.

Hence, we look forward with great joy to the coming of the Son of Man when the promise of eternal life will find perfect fulfillment.

“He will come again on the last day

to judge the living and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed).

A life of faith, love, and service enables us

to face this day with hope and confidence.