Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

Panagia Gorgoepikoos ("Quick to Hear").  Fresco, 1563.  Docheiariou Monastery, Mt. Athos, Greece

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

- Matthew 24:32-44

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His warnings to the disciples of things that will come to be in Jerusalem:  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false Christ's and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study bible suggests that this generation refers to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church, and not merely to those alive at the time of Christ.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who says that Christ tells of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not only from learning the day, but from even inquiring about it.  In both Mark 13:32, and in the Matthew text of Chrysostom, Jesus says that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  What Chrysostom says about this is that it is not to be understood literally.  Rather it is a figure of speech which tells us that Christ, although revealing all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the exact day to anyone.  Moreover, no believer should be brazen enough as to inquire it of Him.

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."   My study bible comments that the second coming of Christ will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left.  This separation will occur at the coming of the Son of Man, according to what Christ says, and not -- as some teach today -- at a certain time before His second coming.  But note the tone of Christ's vivid images:  life continues on as usual, without people thinking or concerned about what is imminent.  The change of time will be sudden and not expected.

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  My study bible says that Christ's purpose in making this discourse to the disciples is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  It is instead so that they might watch and be ready,  continuing in virtue and obeying Christ's commandments.

There are times when, no matter what other distractions or current events or terrific involvement in the affairs of life are going on, one must get down to what really matters.  This is the emphasis that Jesus puts on remembering that He "comes as a thief in the night," as Saints Peter and Paul put it (2 Peter 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:2).   If we keep this in mind, then it gets us down to brass tacks, so to speak.  It will keep us in the awareness of what we are to be about, and what really matters deeply.  His return is a solemn promise, for which He counsels us to watch and be ready.  Essentially remember Him and His words is a way to keep ourselves aware of the importance of His commandments, of practicing our faith, and remembering even that He is there present, with us, through all things.  From the earliest tradition of the Church, prayers of the Hours have been part of its fabric.  They come to us, of course, from Jewish tradition.  But what is the purpose of punctuating our day with prayers, except to "remember God," to remember what we are to be about, to keep our minds focused on our real priorities, and not to lose ourselves in the activities and concerns of the present time?  Prayer can keep us focused not only on our priorities, but on what is essential within ourselves that we need to place greater weight on, to follow in good discipline, and to keep in mind as we make decisions and look at events and circumstances in which we find ourselves.  It seems that with the passage of time, our societies get busier and busier.  Indeed, I was once told by an economic historian who studied such things that with each new invention that was meant to save time, people just got busier.  Our hours fill up with tasks to be done, places to go, things we need to do.  Distractions abound for all of us, unless we intentionally make time -- make room, so to speak -- to remember Christ.  This is often best done by deliberately taking time for prayer.  Prayer need not take an enormous amount of time to be effective, neither does it need to be original.  The prayers of the Church, and the Psalms of the Old Testament, provide plenty for us to select and make time for.  A friend who is a deacon in charge of religious education has lately reminded me that the Our Father is a prayer suggested even for the times when we are alone, and closing the door on our "inner chamber," teaching us that we are never alone in prayer, as "Our Father" is a communal address (see Matthew 6:5-13).  Jesus teaches us to watch and to be ready, in keeping with His earlier admonitions not to be deceived by false christs, and to endure.  On the whole, He teaches us that our priority is to be mindful, and regular prayer helps sharpen our awareness and insight, keeping our focus where it needs to be.   As Jesus says, we are always to be ready.  The icon above is called in Greek Panagia Gorgoepikoos.  Panagia means "All Holy" and is a title for Mary, the Mother of God.  Gorgoepikoos means "Quick to Hear."  She is the one who comes speedily to listen to prayer, and is always ready to do so.   She reminds us that we don't pray alone, and that there are intercessors who both pray with us and hear our prayers. Let us follow her example and be always ready.