PAROUSIA
I.
The early Christians were greatly concerned with the END OF THE WORLD; and
St. Paul, like Christ, spoke much about it. This traditional concern
for the END TIMES is still strong among the protestants but virtually
non-existent among the Catholics, which is difficult to understand since the
LITURGY of the Catholic Church is eschatological, i.e. that which looks
forward and prepares for the END TIMES.
II.
The early Christians looked forward to the LAST DAYS because it is the final
victory of good over evil, the end of all problems and tears. It is
the grand wedding between Christ and his Virgin Church. This makes the
END TIMES the most prophesied event in the Bible.
III. God,
in His wisdom, has not told men the exact time of the end; but, in His
mercy, He gave signs to announce its proximity, seeing to it that only those
who keep his commandments will recognize the signs while the "sons of
disobedience" will not recognize the signs and be caught unawares,
while eating and drinking, as in the days of Noah.
Heretofore,
we present the PAROUSIA series where we shall present the SIGNS of the END
TIMES as found in Scriptures and as explained by the Fathers and the
Saints.
IV.
The Great Falling Away. ". . .and many shall fall
away" (Matt. 24, 9-12). St. Paul states that the END will
only be near at the onset of the GREAT FALLING AWAY (2Thes. 2), also
described as the great apostasy or the great rebellion.
Since
the beginning of Christianity, there have been many "little"
falling away's or apostasies; this explains the countless divisions within
the Church of Christ. But during the END TIMES, a large portion of
Catholics will, by choice, fall away from the teachings of Christ BUT will
remain Catholics in name, thus wreaking havoc and confusion within the
Church. Not only will these Catholics fall away, but they will also
persecute the few who will remain faithful to Christ's commands: ". .
.whoever kills you will think he does a service to God."
Yes,
this great falling away has been happening since the beginning of
Christianity, but, at the END TIMES, it will be in a grand scale and most
sinister in character.
V.
Causes of the Great Falling Away: fruitless theological discussions
and disputations of knowledge falsely so styled. During the END TIMES,
Christians will be so effeminate in spirit that they will be unable to
endure or accept sound doctrines but, having itching ears, they will, in
accordance with their own desires, accumulate teachers for themselves who
teach fictions. They will be lovers of self, lovers of money,
ungrateful to those who do them good. Children will have no natural
affection towards their parents and parents will have no natural affection
towards their own, thus making abortion common and done without
compunction. They will be hostile to whatever is good and friendly to
whatever is evil. They will be lovers of pleasures and haters of
self-denial and sufferings. This is how Catholics will be at the END
TIMES.
Though
holding on to Scriptures, they will disparag TRADITION as "old
mentality" thus denying themselves the only correct interpretation of
Scriptures. So, confronted with Christ's command "to . . .leave
father, mother, brothers. . .", bishops will reply, "That's not
what Christ really meant." Confronted by Christ's command to
"Go home, sell all your things and give to the poor. . .", priests
will reply, "You don't really have to do that. That's only for
religious."
Because
TRADITION is rejected, religious orders will be unfaithful to their founders
and holy rules. Catholic Education will be devoid of Christ's commands
which are the basis of Christians living. The clergy will be proud,
selfish, unjust, covetous, and forgetful of their vows.
Canon
Law will be ignored, firstly, by those who made it and, secondly, by those
who have vowed to enforce it. Family life will be torn asunder by
betrayals. And those rightfully in power will be overthrown, while
treatises are easily broken.
VI.
The Jews were chosen and tested. Because they failed, they were
rejected and the Gentiles were chosen instead. The Gentiles were
chosen and tested; they will also fail and God will reject them. . .for a
moment; and choose the Jews again. Just as the Jewish nation rejected
Christ, the Gentiles will also reject Him and this latter is the GREAT
FALLING AWAY that will, however, culminate in the return of the Jewish
nation to God through Christ.
In
the Great Falling Away, that which will announce the proximity of the times,
the Catholic Church, except for a small portion (which we shall describe in
later series) will become the largest protestant sect of Christ's Church,
maintaining all the trappings of Catholicity, but none of Christ's
commands.
(05-07-05)
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