Preaching the Gospel, with particular reference to the conversion (or enlightenment) of the Jews, is a fundamental contribution to lovingly preparing for the Second Coming of the Lord. This requires us to do our utmost, for fruitful evangelization means living in accordance with the message we proclaim. Who would want to stand before the Lord one day and have Him say that, although they transmitted the right words, those words lacked inner strength because of the great discrepancy between their speech and the witness of their lives?
In the first meditations of this week, we spoke of how our lamps should be lit like those of the wise virgins (cf. Mt 25:1–13), which is achieved through good works and by putting our talents at the service of the Kingdom of God (cf. Mt 25:14–30).
In last Sunday’s meditation, I mentioned the serious signs that herald the nearness of the Lord’s Return. One of them is the decline of faith—the great apostasy.
This concept refers not only to certain errors, but to the departure from the faith and the truths it entails. Particularly in those countries that long ago received the proclamation of the Gospel, a great abandonment of the faith is evident. Apostasy is spreading even within the Church, and this is particularly tragic, because who will guide people in the world if not the shepherds appointed by God and the disciples of the Lord through a proclamation full of authority?
If there is a large-scale decline in faith, as is happening today, the way is being paved for the Antichrist. The Antichrist, an instrument of Satan, will establish his dominion in the world for a time before the Second Coming of Jesus and will deceive people about his true intentions.
If our hearts are not anchored in God and do not remain firm in the true faith, we will easily fall into deception. Then we will not be able to distinguish the voice of the true Shepherd from that of the wolves (cf. Jn 10:27), because, as a famous German tale tells, the wolf ate chalk to change his voice.
Vigilance against possible anti-Christian pretensions
Although no one knows the exact hour of the Lord’s Return (cf. Mt 24:36), we can identify signs that urge us to be extremely vigilant. Apostasy is obviously one of them.
We must be aware of the increasingly anti-Christian environment in which we live and not close our eyes. This climate prepares the ground for the coming of the Antichrist, who will attempt to pervert the Reign of Christ. Considering the current attempts to create a kind of world government, we must watch carefully to see if these attempts could serve to pave the way for a system of government that, at some point, the Antichrist could exploit to exercise his dominion.
With regard to the measures taken against the coronavirus, we have seen how, under the premise of protecting the population from the spread of a pandemic, fundamental freedoms were restricted. This happened almost everywhere in the world, as if the World Health Organization and other institutions had suddenly obtained the authority to largely determine what should be done, and governments followed them almost in unison.
The issue of the coronavirus and the reaction to it is one that we must continue to reflect on, because we cannot simply accept everything that governments and institutions decree—some of which are simultaneously promoting anti-Christian policies. As Catholics, we cannot show servile submission here! This also concerns Church authorities, who during the crisis acted as the “enforcers” of politics, instead of assessing the situation in the light of God and offering clear guidance to the faithful to help them discern. Cooperation with the state and global institutions is only appropriate if it does not descend into a kind of complicity in supporting things that are not in accordance with the faith. Nor should the impression of such cooperation be given, so as not to confuse the faithful or give indirect moral support to governments regarding measures that are, at best, questionable and, at worst, dangerous.
In the case of the coronavirus crisis, it was a deception of the population in which the ecclesiastical hierarchy not only participated but actively cooperated, providing a kind of moral justification. From the highest levels, influence was exerted on the faithful by presenting vaccination as an act of charity. A very serious deception!
In the face of every danger, let us turn our eyes to the Lord
Although we must be aware of the dangers, we do not need to be afraid. On the other hand, we must not relativize or ignore them either. Perhaps the Antichrist will even present himself as a great “humanist” and do things that are apparently for the benefit of all. But the reality behind this is very different! He will not do these things to glorify God or to serve humanity, but to bind it.
Let us remember the following: The coming of the Lord is a cause for great joy and hope. The Church is called to go out to meet Him as a Bride full of love. May the cry “Come, Lord Jesus, Maranatha” awaken us all so that we do not miss His Return and so that, when He comes back, He may find us watching and serving in His Kingdom! What joy and comfort that would be for Him!
Meditation on the O Antiphon for December 19: https://en.elijamission.net/2024/12/19/