The Book of the Apocalypse is another book full of visions and mystical imagery and the reading chosen for today brings together the Gospel and First Reading. In the vision, Jesus is the First-born from the dead who, through his blood has washed away sin and rendered us a royal and priestly people. He is the one who is to come from the clouds and everyone - including those who condemned him to death - who pierced him will see him in majesty.

 

At that point - at the closing of history - everyone will be confronted with an eternal reality - the one who is Alpha (the beginning) and the Omega (the end) revealed as Son of Man and Son of God. Then they will be faced with a choice - how do they react to this revelation? Will Pilate bend the knee before the one whom he condemned to death? Will Caiaphas? Herod? The soldiers who crucified him? And what of Judas?

 

This is the moment foretold by St Paul: the day when every knee shall bow - every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord.

 

 We can have no complete understanding of what the end of time will be like - whether there will be a mass rising and judgement as prophesied in the apocalyptic writings and words of Jesus - or whether it is happening already in an eternity beyond our concept of time.

 

To know how it is to happen is of less importance than how we prepare for the moment.

 

How will each one of us react when we see the Jesus we have imagined in prayer - whose image we may have on our wall or carry with us in handbag or pocket - appears?

 

How will those of us who have listened to his word in the Scriptures, respond when he calls our name and calls us home?