Three Comings of Christ Prepare us for Advent

Friends, many years ago, in the context of a high school religion class, a very wise Benedictine nun gave me a template for understanding Advent that I’ve never forgotten. It is simply that Advent calls to mind three “comings” of Christ: the first in history, the second now, and the third at the end of time. Meditating upon each of these is a helpful preparation for the holy season upon which we are embarking.

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[johnclark]

Bishop Barron has been a major factor in my return to the Catholic Church after a long period of separation. Presentations like this one are always a renewal in faith and a call to be better today than yesterday. A beautiful gift in this Advent season. Thank you.

[STRENGTHFROMABOVE]

I prayed a special prayer for someone passing through hard times, a hard time which seem to be mental, financially and emotionally damaging. I pray for this person reading this, that God will come to your rescue, wipe your tears and restore you whole in Jesus name. Amen

[MichaelF]

I went to Eucharistic Adoration twice this week for the very first time in my whole life. What I cannot stop thinking about is just how profound it is that the Eucharist is going to be shared at mass this Sunday. Holy Moly! Just think of that! We adore Jesus and we are going to share in the body and the blood of Christ! Whoa! Or how the song is sung at Christmas time, Come let us ADORE him. Man that is just so profound!

[paulovjacobina]

Bishop Barron, you and Mons. Munilla, from San sebastián, Spain, are, along with my own Bishop, dom Paulo César Costa, three marvelous saints that Jesus has left for us in our confusing times to illuminate us! Thanks here from a poor brazilian catholic...

[alicemcpherson]

"In joyful hope." Thank you Bishop Barron 🙏❤️

[michaelpeterson]

I preached on the three comings of Christ on the first Sunday of Advent. I think I first heard of this was from St. Bernard’s writings. I used to be an Evangelical (they’re on the same side of us Catholics!). I am so happy that as Catholics the second coming of Christ comes to us in the sacraments, in the stranger, the poor, the imprisoned (Matthew 25).

[AntJWarren]

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Heb 4:12). Thank you Bishop Barron for how you apply this to your preaching!

[IgnisConsumens]

Three pithy terms have been helpful for my understanding, and they dovetail with the bishop’s recent homily and his remarks here: Christ comes in history, in mystery, and in majesty.

[phillippillin]

Eschatology with the ideas of the Kingdom of God as the “New Heaven and New Earth” and the Second Coming of Christ often seem to be severely underrated today. Thank you, Bishop Barron for bringing light to this threefold Advent.

[emilyloppy]

Thanks you Bishop Barron. God Bless you.

[marypinakat]

*"History reached its climax on a squalid hill outside of Jerusalem in the year roughly 30 A.D. with the death of Jesus on the Cross."*
- BISHOP ROBERT BARRON

[marypinakat]

Have you not heard his silent steps? He comes, comes, ever comes.

Every moment and every age, every day and every night he comes, comes, ever comes.

Many a song have I sung in many a mood of mind, but all their notes have always proclaimed, “He comes, comes, ever comes.”

In the fragrant days of sunny April through the forest path he comes, comes, ever comes.

In the rainy gloom of July nights on the thundering chariot of clouds he comes, comes, ever comes.

In sorrow after sorrow it is his steps that press upon my heart, and it is the golden touch of his feet that makes my joy to shine.
*(Gitanjali XLV of Rabindranath Tagore)*

[lifeonleo]

Amen. More and more these days I look expectantly to the day when Christ will come and put all things under his foot.

[glthango]

thank you dear Bishop for this beautiful reflection, particularly the third coming of Christ. God Bless you abundantly.

[ritabiro]

God blessed Advent and peacful coming days.Pleasure the birth of our creator Jezus and saviour through his life to lead the humanity in ciel and evigen Ruhe.

[colleencupido]

Thank you for your sermons and video talks, always worth listening to. For the first time in my life, I am heavily studying Russian Opera. Right now, that Tchaikovsky's Iolanta. I picked up I purchased 30+ years ago, "Balanchine's Tchaikovsky"- George Balanchine being the late ex-patriot Russian who by common consent was the greatest ballet choreographer of the 20th century. In his description of The Nutcracker, I thought this would interest you: The Nutcracker is a ballet about Christmas. We used to have a fantastic Christmas in Petersburg..I was small. For me Christmas was something extrodinary. Naturally, Christmas is no Easter. At Easter the church bells pealed joyously throughout the night! Nothing is like Easter. But for Christmas St.Petersburg was all dark and somehow strange. It wasn't the way it is now, with everyone shouting, running around panting as if it's a fire instead of Christmas. Back in Petersburg there was a stillness, a waiting: Who's being born? Christ is born!...In Petersburg they bad the Christmas service at nearby St. Vladimir's. And naturally in all the big cathedrals: at the Kazan, at St.Isaac's...On Christmas night we had only the family at home...Of course, we all expected presents. We weren't wealthy, so we children didn't get big presents, just a few things. Once I received a watch that didn't run. I was wildly estatic- both because the watch didn't run and because it was mine! My watch!"
( These reminiscences by George Balanchine took place when he was a child before the 1917 Revolution)

[miguelpreza]

Thank You so much father this year has Been so.difficult for me My dad died last december 20th of covid

[glynissequeira]

1) (this happened in the year 30 A.D. according to some reckoning)
Luke 3: In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrach of Galilee..., in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John (the Baptist) ....and he went preaching a BAPTISM of REPENTANCE for the FORGIVENESS OF SINS. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "....PREPARE the way of the Lord, make his paths straight..." ....And the multitudes asked John the Baptiser, "What shall we do?" And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise..."

2) (Christ comes as king. The one who wants to be king of every aspect of your life)
Matthew 25 : 31ff On the Mount of Olives, Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, ...then he will sit on his glorious throne....Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ....Then the KING will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the KINGDOM prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, ...' And the KING will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' "

[michaelmccue]

Thank you for the very helpful work of Word On Fire. Thank you for these Advent messages, very helpful!
I want to offer one critique, and I have no idea if this observation applies beyond one image in one youtube talk.
But images convey important messages. The painting chosen to illustrate the second type of Advent coming of the Lord gives a poor image. A saint leading the celebration of Mass with all males in a Tridentine style does not communicate 2021's experience of God with us.
The ecumenical at the Vatican happened. The Holy Spirit was and is with the insight and action of that action of the Church.
I bring this up, again, because of the quality of WOF and because a few people want to teach that nothing happened with Vatican II. People try to say that what historian Fr John O'Malley, SJ, has called the largest meeting in history, was a mistake.
A photo of Mass at your lovely home chapel would be one much more faithful image for the second type of Advent.

[chrisvalenzuela]

Bishop, this is a very random comment. But I would love for you to do a commentary on the Sam Raimi Spiderman Trilogy. Those movies are so full of great emotion, moral lessons, etc. Showing us how we are who we choose to be...I could go on but I would love to see what you would have to say about those movies. I wish Marvel movies were still like that.