Exiit qui seminat - Death, judgement, heaven & hell

It is truly amazing to think that we, as a Church, have only two weeks left of our liturgical year. The Solemnity of Christ the King is next weekend and the beginning of Advent is right around the corner. While the secular world is already focused prematurely on Christmas (only 41 shopping days until Christmas btw), the Church herself is focused on something entirely different - the eschaton (εσχάτων) or the end of the world. Coming from the Greek word that means "last", the Church focuses on 4 distinct themes: death, judgement, heaven and hell. These themes are the focus of the readings at Mass this Sunday, as well as all of the readings next week. Also, these "four last things" get rolled over into the first two weeks of Advent as we contemplate the second coming of Christ. While it might seem strange to the rest of the world, do we take the time to prayerfully reflect on such things? We don't often think about our own encounter with death and while we long to be with our Lord in heaven, it is hard to imagine that someday we will actually be there. Padre Pio writes that "He who attaches himself to earth remains attached to it. It is by violence that we must leave it. It is better to detach oneself a little at a time, rather than all at once. Let us always think of Heaven." As we prepare for the end of another liturgical year, let us always strive to remain in the Lord's grace, be mindful of our heavenly home and long for when Christ comes again in glory.