Christian Art | Lord Jesus | Advent | Our Prayers At The Foot Of The Cross
Office Of Readings | Advent Sunday Week 1 | A Reading From The Catecheses Of Saint Cyril Of Jerusalem | The Twofold Coming Of Jesus Christ
‘The twofold coming of Jesus Christ.’
Saint Cyril presents the Christian confession not as a remembrance of a single event but as the acknowledgement of two distinct comings of Christ. The first has already taken place in humility; the second is to come in manifest glory. This double perspective shapes both Christian faith and Christian waiting.
Saint Cyril begins by drawing attention to the pattern that runs through the whole mystery of Christ. Christ’s life is marked by a twofold movement: a birth from the Father before all ages, and a birth from the Virgin in time; a hidden presence that works silently, and a future arrival that will be visible to all. Cyril uses simple contrasts to establish this pattern. The swaddling clothes and the manger are set over against the light and majesty of the Lord’s return. The cross, accepted in silence, stands in contrast to the future day when Christ will address those who condemned him. These contrasts do not diminish the first coming but place it within an unfolding purpose.
Cyril then turns to the Church’s attitude. Believers look back to the first coming with gratitude and look ahead to the second with expectation. The acclamation, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, belongs to both comings: first in the humility of Christ’s earthly life, and again when he appears in glory. In this way, the worship of the Church spans the entire scope of salvation, linking past and future in present adoration.
The second coming is described not as a repetition of the first but as its fulfilment. Christ will not return to be judged; he will return as judge. Cyril recalls the silence of Christ during his passion and sets it beside the moment when Christ will bring to light the deeds done against him. The first coming approached humanity with persuasion and patience; the second will reveal Christ’s kingship in a way that cannot be avoided or ignored.
To anchor his teaching, Cyril gathers testimony from the prophets and apostles. Malachi speaks of the Lord coming suddenly to his temple, and also of a coming that purifies as fire cleanses metal or herb cleanses cloth. Cyril notes that Paul likewise distinguishes the grace that has already appeared in Christ and the glory yet to come. The creed, which the catechumens are learning, preserves this twofold confession: Christ has ascended and will return in glory to judge.
Cyril concludes by pointing to the end towards which time moves. Christ will come at the completion of this age, and the created world will be renewed. The promise of a second coming implies not only judgement but transformation. The world, which began in God’s goodness, will reach its fulfilment when the Lord returns.
A Reading From The Catecheses Of Saint Cyril Of Jerusalem | The Twofold Coming Of Jesus Christ
We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom.
In general, whatever relates to our Lord Jesus Christ has two aspects. There is a birth from God before the ages, and a birth from a virgin at the fullness of time. There is a hidden coming, like that of rain on fleece, and a coming before all eyes, still in the future.
At the first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming he will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming he endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming he will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels.
We look then beyond the first coming and await the second. At the first coming we said: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. At the second we shall say it again; we shall go out with the angels to meet the Lord and cry out in adoration: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
The Saviour will not come to be judged again, but to judge those by whom he was judged. At his own judgement he was silent; then he will address those who committed the outrages against him when they crucified him and will remind them: You did these things, and I was silent.
His first coming was to fulfil his plan of love, to teach men by gentle persuasion. This time, whether men like it or not, they will be subjects of his kingdom by necessity.
Malachi the prophet speaks of the two comings. And the Lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple: that is one coming.
Again he says of another coming: Look, the Lord almighty will come, and who will endure the day of his entry, or who will stand in his sight? Because he comes like a refiner’s fire, a fuller’s herb, and he will sit refining and cleansing.
These two comings are also referred to by Paul in writing to Titus: The grace of God the Saviour has appeared to all men, instructing us to put aside impiety and worldly desires and live temperately, uprightly, and religiously in this present age, waiting for the joyful hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Notice how he speaks of a first coming for which he gives thanks, and a second, the one we still await.
That is why the faith we profess has been handed on to you in these words: He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will therefore come from heaven. He will come at the end of the world, in glory, at the last day. For there will be an end to this world, and the created world will be made new.
Christian Prayer With Jesus
Lord Jesus Christ,
you came in humility to share our life,
and you will come again in glory to bring all things to fulfilment.
Grant that as we remember your first coming
we may also live in readiness for your return.
Teach us to set aside what leads us away from you
and to live with clarity, patience, and hope.
Strengthen our desire for your kingdom
and guide us to walk faithfully until the day we see you face to face.
You live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Twofold coming – The Christian confession that Christ has already come once in humility and will come again in glory at the end of time.
Hidden coming – Christ’s quiet and unobserved working, often associated with his first coming or his action in the soul.
Glorious coming – Christ’s future arrival, visible to all, when he will judge and renew creation.
Gentle persuasion – Cyril’s term for the way Christ taught and saved in his first coming, appealing to human freedom.
Refiner’s fire / fuller’s herb – Images from Malachi describing God’s purifying action: fire that removes impurity from metal and substance used in cleansing cloth.
The appearance of glory – Paul’s phrase in Titus for the second coming of Christ.
Last day – The completion of the present age, when Christ returns and the world is renewed.
Christian Art | George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner Lord, how I am all ague, when I seek What I have treasur’d in my memorie! Since, if my soul make even with the week, Each seventh note by right is due to thee. I finde there quarries of pil’d vanities, But shreds of holinesse, that dare not venture To shew their face, since crosse to thy decrees. There the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre. In so much dregs the quintessence is small: The spirit and good extract of my heart Comes to about the many hundredth part. Yet Lord restore thine image, heare my call: And though my hard heart scarce to thee can grone, Remember that thou once didst write in stone. George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner The poet reflects on his spiritual state, describing a struggle with weakness, sin, and the desire for divine alignment. The poem opens with the poet addressing God, expressing discomfort, likened to an ‘ague’ (fever or chill), when he searches his memory for spiritual treasures. This ‘ague’ suggests both a physical and spiritual unease, revealing the tension the poet feels in self-examination. The second line conveys a sense of regret as the poet searches for ‘treasur’d’ holiness in his memory. He recognizes that, although he might strive to keep his soul ‘even with the week’, dedicating every seventh day to God, he falls short. This phrase reflects the expectation to honour the Sabbath, but the poet’s efforts are met with disappointment in their perceived spiritual emptiness. The poet goes on to examine his inner self, describing ‘quarries of pil’d vanities’ that dominate his mind. Here, ‘quarries’ implies an overwhelming quantity of earthly or superficial concerns, while ‘vanities’ suggests that these concerns are meaningless in the context of divine expectation. In contrast, he finds only ‘shreds of holinesse’, fragmented attempts at righteousness, which he hesitates to bring forward as these elements are ‘crosse to thy decrees’, or in opposition to God’s laws. This imagery underscores the poet’s internal conflict and recognition of shortcomings. Further, the poet contrasts earth and heaven, saying that ‘the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre.’ This phrase symbolizes the poet’s focus on worldly concerns (the circumference) that orbit around a neglected spiritual core (the heavenly center). The poet reflects that his life is filled with ‘dregs’, the lesser, unrefined aspects of his being, while ‘quintessence’, or the purest part of himself, is scarce. This ‘quintessence’ is described as the ‘spirit and good extract’ of the poet’s heart, amounting to a ‘many hundredth part’ — a small fraction of life’s essence. The poet realizes that, despite attempts to cultivate holiness, his internal state largely lacks spiritual substance. The final lines shift to a plea for restoration. The poet calls on God to ‘restore thine image’, asking for renewal and transformation. This restoration request implies a yearning to reflect God’s nature more fully, as humanity is believed to be made in God’s image. The poet acknowledges that his heart ‘scarce… can grone’ to God, reflecting the difficulty he feels in truly connecting with or petitioning the divine. The poem ends with reference to the biblical account of the Ten Commandments, when God ‘didst write in stone’. This allusion serves as both a reminder of God’s past willingness to communicate directly and a plea for a similar intervention to etch divine law into the poet’s heart. The poem examines themes of introspection, human fallibility, and a longing for divine transformation. The poet’s self-examination reveals struggle to balance earthly concerns with spiritual commitments, culminating in a plea for God’s direct action to restore spiritual integrity.
According to Jewish law, couples became engaged around one year prior to marriage, and this engagement was most solemn and binding – an act of divorce would be needed to break the relationship. It is during this period that Mary is found to be with child of the Holy Ghost. She has done nothing wrong, she is a virgin, Christ’s conception is miraculous, but on the surface of things this was a terrible state of affairs, for Mary and Joseph also [ … ]
Psalm 39 is a contemplative reflection on the fleeting nature of human existence. Attributed to King David, this psalm delves into themes of silence, self-control, and brevity of life in face of God’s eternal nature [ … ]
