When we think of the last things, we often focus on our own end. This is natural and salutary, but we should also consider the whole plan of God for the kingdom of heaven and the consummation of all things in Christ. Our Lord ascended to the right hand of the Father and all things are subject to Him so that God may be all in all.

This is the fulfilment of the Kingship of Christ which we celebrated recently. It is right that Our Lord’s sovereignty should be part of the earthly arrangement of our lives, both as individuals and in society because Jesus Christ is in fact the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the one through whom and for whom everything was made, the Lord of creation and the Lord of history. In heaven, the final expression of this Kingship is eternally celebrated in the fulfilment of our worship.

At the beginning of Advent, the sacred Liturgy teaches us to look forward to the second coming of Christ which will be the inauguration of this consummation of all things in Him. It is a fitting preparation for Christmas because this fulfilment is the whole purpose of His first coming in humility in the stable of Nazareth. The hymn of the angels “Glory to God in the Highest” gives praise to God for His magnificent plan for us which is completed in heaven.