Parousia

Six days a week, I need to drive about 54 kilometers to get to our office and another 54 kilometers to go back home. With at least 9 traffic-intersection lights, minimum 14 remote high-speed monitoring CCTVs, a moderate volume of vehicles big and small and the countless surprise-me-with-a-sudden-street-crossing pedestrians and two-wheeled motor incursions from outermost to innermost lane and vice-versa along the way, my colleague and I reach our home-destination at the normal and safe travel time of an hour plus fifteen minutes.

It is not that easy but it is necessary at the moment.

It may be a bit tiring at times, but nothing a sufficient amount of rest and a cup of coffee can not handle.

Besides, I just have to recall back in the late 90’s when my friend and I needed to travel at least 3 hours from Bulacan to Laguna just to go to work, and I know that my present situation is a lot better. That time, we needed to wake up at 4am just to be sure to arrive on time at the start of the office hour at 8am.

With this commute, going home is much more pleasant and a lot exciting as well for me. After the stressful work, I just want to be with my wife and energetic son and listen to their day’s recap of activities and happenings. As soon as the door starts to open and my son’s head peeking out and asking about his transformer robots as my wife give me her subtle and tender kiss, a warmth feeling of welcome envelops my whole self.

I am home.

In a few more days, we will begin the preparation for the coming of Lord Jesus Christ. After being recognized and crowned as “Our King” this Sunday, the Advent season will officially start according to our Catholic tradition which also signals the start of the new liturgical year. Advent was historically known as “little Lent,” because, like Lent, it is a time of repentance, with prayer, fasting, and confession before the Lord’s nativity or as we commonly known as Christmas.

The main questions that will be asked of us during this period will be – Will Jesus be welcomed in our individual heart when He shows up? Will we open the door to welcome Him at the sound of His footsteps arriving? Will we excitedly tell Him our stories of struggles and triumphs in life and unconditionally be grateful to His graces and mercies? Are we willing to give Him that loving embraces and kisses that He so longingly waits from each one of us.

Dear friends, our Lord has suffered in unspeakable and unimaginable terms during His first travel on earth in order to save each and every one of us.

Now let us make His second journey into our hearts a worthy and pleasing experience for Him.

Let us all make Him say with pride, “I am home”.

The term parousia is a Greek word which literally means “presence” or “coming,” and refers to the eventual second coming of Jesus Christ in the end times. This last Sunday’s gospel - Mk 13:24-32, Jesus has foretold his second coming not as a fearful event to avoid but a day full of hope for those who look up to the Lord. Thanks to Bishop Tagle’s enlightening explanation of this “apocalyptic” gospel reading in his TV program “The Word Exposed” every Sunday 7am at TV channel 5.

Thanks and God bless.

(originally posted on December 5, 2009)