30 August 2021
Monday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” This statement from St. Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 4, verse 17, describes what will happen at the second coming of Christ. Those who are still alive will be caught up together with those who have passed away, and together they will meet Christ in the air.
There is a thrill that comes from being in the air. Small children like being thrown into the air by grownups. Bungee jumpers and skydivers experience a rush as they leap into the air. Airplanes, helicopters, hot air balloons… all of these tap in to that thrill to some degree. If that airborne euphoria could somehow be amplified and maintained, and if all of our loved ones could join us, both the living and the deceased, then we would have but a hint of the joy that awaits not only Jesus Christ himself, but also those who are with him.
Meanwhile, we must be united to Christ, in obedience to his teachings, even if it is scary sometimes, like skydiving. Remember that Christ holds out the possibility of a thrill far greater than we can imagine. This is not just the speculation of a Jesuit on a blog, nor is it the speculation of St. Paul himself. “Indeed, we tell you this on the word of the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:15).