As Christ came once as Saviour, so He will come again as Judge. How will we receive Him? The answer depends upon how we are receiving Him now, while He is still out of our sight. If we do not accord Him first place in our lives now, do we really think we will be able to welcome Him when He comes again?
Our time in this world is an opportunity which God has given us, a time for us to decide what and who Christ truly is for us. Either He is to be our Lord and Saviour, the King of our lives, and the One whom we seek to serve; or He is little more than a picture-book baby decorating Christmas cards. Either we will greet Him with joy as our long-awaited King, or we will tremble to hear that He has come again, and we will not be able to help shrinking away from His presence, afraid of what He will find in us.
As we stand at the beginning of another Christian year, this is the time to decide. If you have been holding back part of your life from Christ, now is the time to give it; if you have neglected any of the sacraments, now is the time to examine your soul and return through the confessional; if you have been drawing back from entering fully into the life of Christ's Body, the Church, now is the time to take that place He has made for you; if you have offended God or man, now is the time to seek forgiveness; if you have neglected your prayers, now is the time to sink to your knees; if you have ignored those who are in need, now is the time to be open-handed and generous; if your life has been empty, now is the time to let Christ fill it.
And when that day comes, as it surely will, that the Son of God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, comes "in a cloud with power and great glory," we can know that the crown of righteousness awaits us, which the Lord, the just Judge, will award to us on that day – and not only to us, but to all who have longed for His appearing.
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Pictured: "Christ Enthroned"
by Giovanni Battista Cima Da Conegliano (1459-1517)