The Christian Journey Toward Christ’s Return
Today’s Gospel reading offers a profound invitation: it calls us to reflect deeply on the promised return of Jesus Christ in glory, and on our vocation as Christians to remain ever vigilant, prepared, and spiritually awake.
The Fact of the Return of Jesus Christ
In reflecting on Luke chapter 12 through the lens of Catholic tradition, we understand that human history is not circular but rather guided by Divine Providence toward a sacred purpose. The Greeks and many others have viewed existence as cyclical—a perpetual motion with no true destination, where even the gods themselves were thought to be bound to this endless rotation. In contrast, the Catholic faith teaches that God has lovingly entered into human history, revealing Himself in Jesus Christ, and that our lives are not mere repetitions but a pilgrimage toward union with God. The narrative of salvation, as unfolded in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, assures us that all of creation moves under the gracious will of the Father, culminating in the promised return of Christ. Thus, our days are not aimless cycles, but moments filled with meaning, each one an opportunity to grow in faith, hope, and charity, as we await the fulfillment of God’s kingdom.
This longing for meaning beyond the present moment is not unique to ancient philosophies—it echoes in today’s secular worldview, where many see existence as a fleeting passage, disconnected from its divine origin and sacred destiny. Yet, from a Catholic perspective, human life is imbued with purpose from its very beginning, and history itself is a journey directed by God’s loving providence. When individuals lose sight of creation as the work of God and forget the promised fulfillment in Christ’s return, they are left only with the present, seeking fulfillment in transient pleasures and fleeting achievements. The Church invites us to rediscover our place in this unfolding story, reminding us that our true hope rests not in the momentary, but in the promise of eternal communion with God—a promise made manifest in Jesus Christ, whose return is the culmination of all history and the fulfillment of every human longing.
Many young people today find themselves adrift, cut off from the rich heritage of their origins as children fashioned in the image of God. Without an awareness of their divine beginning or a sense of ultimate purpose, life appears to be the product of mere matter, fleeting time, and random chance. In the absence of faith, it is no wonder that so many seek meaning in passing pleasures or transitory pursuits.
When humanity loses the memory of being created by God and the hope of union with Him at the end of time, existence is emptied of its deepest significance. This is why the doctrine of creation is central to Catholic faith: “In the beginning, God…” affirms that everything—every breath, every beauty, every moment—finds its origin in the loving will of the Creator. And, as revealed in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, history is not aimless but guided by Divine Providence toward its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The very Lord who set the world in motion is the One who, as we hear in Luke 12, calls His disciples to vigilance and expectation; this same Christ will return in glory to consummate the story of salvation and to establish His kingdom in its fullness. Thus, Catholic faith anchors every present moment in the hope and certainty of this promised return, infusing daily life with meaning and inviting each soul to walk the pilgrimage of faith with hope and readiness.
In other words, far from viewing history as an endless cycle, the Church proclaims that history is a journey with a sacred destination: the return of Jesus Christ. All of creation, guided by Divine Providence, is moving toward this culmination, an event as decisive as the act of creation itself. When we open our calendars and look over our plans for the week, it is worth remembering that the return of the Lord is not an abstract theological idea, but a reality that enters into every moment of time and the life of every person. In the liturgy and the prayers of the Church, we are reminded that Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead—an event that will gather all humanity before the throne of God’s perfect justice and mercy.
For Catholics, the essential message of the New Testament is not a timetable of future events or speculation about the details of Christ’s coming, but a living and hopeful expectation of his return. Our hope is not set on abstract predictions but on the person of Jesus Christ, who will return as Lord and King to fulfill what was begun in his Paschal Mystery. The Church, as a pilgrim people, waits in faith and prepares in love, trusting that Christ’s return will bring the fullness of his kingdom. The main truth is clear: He will come again in glory. This is the foundation of Christian hope, and it calls each believer to watchfulness, fidelity, and joyful anticipation, as we journey toward the consummation of all things in Christ.
Yet, when we survey the past century of Christian thought, it is clear that many have often shifted the focus from what is central in the Catholic faith to what is peripheral. The temptation arises to construct elaborate timelines or interpret world events as definitive signs, but in doing so, we risk neglecting the plain and profound emphasis found in the words of Christ and the witness of Sacred Scripture. The heart of Catholic eschatology is not speculation, but the hope grounded in divine revelation: we believe in the return of Jesus Christ because it is revealed through the teaching authority of the Church and the Scriptures, not because we decipher the headlines.
This conviction—that Christ will come again—is not merely an abstract doctrine, but a living reality that shapes the rhythm of Catholic prayer, liturgy, and daily life. The certainty of Christ’s return, coupled with the humility of not knowing its precise moment, is meant to orient our whole existence toward watchfulness and hope. It is this anticipation, fostered by faith and sustained by the grace of the sacraments, that guides the Church as she awaits the fulfillment of God’s promises. In every Mass, we proclaim, “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.” Thus, the Catholic tradition invites every believer to live in joyful vigilance, actively preparing for the coming of the Lord, confident not in human predictions, but in the faithfulness of God who fulfills all things in Christ.
From a Catholic perspective, the urgency and clarity of these verses resonate deeply with the Church’s tradition of vigilant hope. Consider verse 40: “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour … you do not expect him.” The Church has always taught that Christian life is a journey imbued with meaning and directed towards a sacred fulfillment—the return of Christ. This call to readiness is not merely practical advice, but a profound invitation to live faithfully in the light of eternity. Every moment, every choice, is shaped by this hope. Jesus, in Luke 12, insists that his disciples be alert, watchful, and prepared—not out of fear, but out of loving anticipation, for our lives and history move toward union with God in Christ.
The chapter unfolds as a summons to integrity and holy expectation. Jesus warns against the distractions of hypocrisy and anxiety, urging his followers to keep their eyes fixed on the kingdom that is to come. The repeated exhortations—“Be dressed, be ready, lamps burning,” “like men waiting,” “watching,” “ready”—draw us into the rhythm of Catholic liturgy, where the Church prays not only for daily grace, but for Christ’s glorious return. In every Mass, we profess: “We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.” This is the heart of Catholic hope: to live the present with faith, anchored in the certainty of Christ’s promise, trusting in Divine Providence, and preparing our souls for the day when time itself will be fulfilled in his coming.
A Clear Command
From a distinctly Catholic perspective, the images used by Jesus in Luke 12 invite us into a posture of vigilance that is more than mere anticipation—it is a living expression of faith, nourished by grace and rooted in the Church’s tradition. Jesus gives a clear command in verse 35: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.”
This image would have been familiar to his first listeners, but the Church recognizes in it an enduring summons to the faithful, a call echoed throughout the centuries in Catholic liturgy and spirituality. Christ, the Bridegroom, will return after having gone forth to prepare a place for us. The master’s absence is not an invitation to spiritual sloth but to a readiness characterized by active charity, ongoing conversion, and lively hope. The servants are to remain attentive, their hearts burning with the expectation shaped by the sacraments and prayer. As the Gospel suggests, “they can immediately open the door for him”—their readiness is not passive waiting, but a joyful preparedness to welcome the Lord.
The Church, in her wisdom, connects this posture of readiness to the Paschal Mystery. The command to be “girded for service,” as rendered in older translations and reflected upon in Catholic exegesis, recalls the instruction at the first Passover in Exodus 12:11. Just as Israel ate the Passover meal with loins girt, sandals on, and staff in hand, so too does the Church, in every Eucharist, “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” The Catholic tradition teaches that this sacramental participation in Christ’s death and resurrection is itself a preparation for his glorious return. The outward sign—girding one’s loins—becomes an inward disposition of readiness: conforming our lives to Christ, clinging to the Church, and living in the hope of the resurrection. Vigilance, then, is not anxiety, but a steadfast confidence in God’s providence, a readiness fostered by prayer, the sacraments, and works of mercy—hallmarks of Catholic life as we await Christ’s coming in glory.
In the Catholic tradition, Jesus’ words in verse 37 offer a profound encouragement: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.” Such watchfulness is not mere passive waiting, but a lively hope animated by faith and love. The Lord himself promises a reversal so wondrous that it echoes the mystery of the Eucharist—he, the Master, will gird himself to serve his faithful, seating them at his table and ministering to them in a gesture of humility and divine love. This image, deeply cherished by the Catholic Church, points beyond the Last Supper to every celebration of the Mass, where Christ still comes to serve and nourish his people under the signs of bread and wine.
“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant.” Verse 38 assures us: “If he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so, blessed are those servants!” The Catholic understanding recognizes in these watches the unfolding of salvation history between Christ’s Ascension and his glorious return. The passing hours symbolize the patient endurance and persistent hope of the Church as she walks through the night of history. Whether the Lord’s coming seems near or delayed, the invitation is the same—be ready, living each moment in the light of faith, so that when Christ returns, he will find his Church steadfast, filled with hope, and clothed in charity. In this, the Catholic heart finds its call: to persevere in vigilance, nourished by the sacraments and united in expectation, as we await the Bridegroom who comes to lead his faithful into the joy of his Kingdom.
Thus, the Gospel presents us, first and foremost, with a clear command—one that resonates deeply within Catholic tradition: “Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning.” This summons is not simply practical advice, but a sacred invitation to participate in the Church’s vigilant hope, shaped by the grace of the sacraments and the rhythm of prayer. Are we clothed in Christ, prepared for his coming, our lamps burning with the light of faith and charity? The question is not only academic but existential: has our awareness of Christ’s promised return transformed any of our choices, our actions, our relationships? Did the hope of his coming mend a broken bond, inspire a word of patience, guide a decision toward mercy? The Church teaches that every moment is infused with meaning because it is oriented toward the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. To be “dressed and ready” is to live each day in joyful expectation, allowing the reality of Christ’s Second Coming to illuminate our present, sanctify our work, and draw us ever deeper into union with God. Our readiness is not passive waiting, but an active response to grace—a lived witness to the hope that anchors every Catholic heart: “He will come again in glory.”
An Important Observation
Secondly, the Gospel presents us with what the Church would call an important observation. In verse 39, Jesus teaches, “But know this: if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.” The vivid language—suggesting a thief forcing his way through earthen walls—reminds us of the vulnerability of our lives and souls when we let down our spiritual guard. Catholic reflection sees here not merely an exhortation to prudence, but a profound call to vigilance. Christ’s words echo the Church’s ancient wisdom: we are stewards entrusted with the household of faith, responsible for remaining attentive and watchful, precisely because the timing of the Lord’s coming is hidden in the mystery of Divine Providence.
As I read this verse, it makes me think of an incident that was written about in a newspaper article as it related to the city of Liverpool in England. A couple who parked their car routinely outside of their house every evening got up one morning and found that their car was stolen. A couple of days later, their car reappeared. It was in perfect condition, and inside they found a note from the person who had taken the car, thanking the couple for the use of their car, apologizing for the inconvenience to them, and saying, in order to put matters to right, he was leaving for them two tickets for the theater. The husband and wife then went to the theater, and he reappeared and burgled their home. True story! Now, if the individual, upon receiving the tickets, had said, “You know, I can imagine what this person is up to,” then they would not have gone out. But it took them completely by surprise.
The Church would see in this not merely a warning, but an invitation to cultivate a disposition of continual spiritual readiness, formed by prayer, the sacraments, and good works, so that we may not be caught off guard at the hour of the Lord’s visitation.
Jesus’s words, then, are not simply practical wisdom but a sacred admonition: “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” The Catholic Church, in her liturgy and teaching, urges her children to live in a state of grace and attentive hope—to keep their lamps burning with the oil of faith and charity, so that when Christ returns, he may find his household awake, faithful, and ready to welcome him. We are reminded that this vigilance is not a duty of anxious fear, but a joyful response to the love of God, who desires to find his people prepared to share in the fullness of his kingdom.
A Striking Warning
From a Catholic perspective, this passage draws us from a clear command and an important observation to what can rightly be called a striking warning. When Peter asks, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” the response of Jesus is characteristically profound, inviting all faithful to reflect on their own readiness for his return. Within the richness of Catholic tradition, this teaching is not addressed only to the apostles but extends to the entire Church, calling each member to vigilance and fidelity as stewards of the mysteries entrusted to us.
The image of the master delegating authority to his servant manager resonates deeply with Catholic theology regarding the stewardship of divine gifts. The Church, entrusted with the care of souls and the sacramental life, bears the responsibility to nourish and guide the faithful, always anticipating the return of Christ. “It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns”—this echoes the Catholic understanding that true faithfulness is revealed in loving service, daily fidelity, and a spirit of readiness cultivated through prayer and participation in the sacraments. The genuine servant does not boast of their faithfulness but lives it quietly, using freedom not to indulge self, but to serve Christ and neighbor in charity.
This passage also contains a sobering warning, very much in keeping with Catholic teaching on judgment and accountability. Jesus declares, “If the servant sees the master’s delay as an opportunity for selfishness, he will be severely punished.” The Catholic tradition affirms that our time on earth is a period of grace, yet also a time of testing, where our choices have eternal significance. The Church teaches that at the end of time, Christ will return not only as merciful Savior but also as righteous Judge, holding each person accountable for how they have responded to his grace and lived out the demands of the Gospel. The words of Jesus—“He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers”—remind us that mere association with the Church is not enough. What matters is authentic faith, expressed in works of love and a heart oriented toward God’s kingdom.
While such language may seem severe, it reflects the seriousness with which the Catholic Church approaches the call to vigilance and conversion. Judgment is not arbitrary, but perfectly just, based on the reality of each person’s heart and life. The sacraments—especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation—are given to strengthen us for this journey, forming us in readiness so that we may be found faithful when the Lord arrives. The Church, in her wisdom, teaches that “vigilance” means more than mere anticipation: it is a continual conversion, a living response to grace, and a readiness shaped by prayer, service, and sacramental life.
In summary, the words of Christ call us to a Catholic vision of watchfulness: not anxious speculation, but confident hope; not passive waiting, but active preparation. Every believer, entrusted with the gifts and mysteries of faith, is called to live as a faithful steward, ready to welcome Christ whenever he comes. The master’s return is both a promise and a challenge, urging us to build our lives on the foundation of Christ and to persevere in love and service within the household of faith. In this, we find the heart of Catholic hope—the joyful expectation of Christ’s coming, and the desire to be found faithful, vigilant, and ready. -F.D.