Objective:
The middle school youth will understand the concept of the Parousia, or Second Coming of Jesus Christ, as well as their obligation to continue building God’s Kingdom on earth in anticipation of His return.
Overview:
In the Nicene Creed, we proclaim that Jesus Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” This second coming, or parousia, will accomplish God’s plan and assure the reign of Jesus as Lord of heaven and earth. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “though already present in his Church, Christ’s reign is nevertheless yet to be fulfilled ‘with power and great glory’ by the king’s return to earth” (671).
In the earliest days of the Church, the early Christians anticipated Jesus’ Second Coming within their lifetimes. As they began to die without experiencing it, their disappointment gave way to the realization that the Second Coming would not be immediate, and anticipation of the Parousia spread from one generation of Christians to the next – and continues to our day.
Since the Ascension Christ’s coming in glory has been imminent, even though “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority.” This eschatological coming could be accomplished at any moment, even if both it and the final trial that will precede it are “delayed.” (CCC 673)