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October 12, 2011

When Shall the Day of the Lord Come? (St. Symeon the New Theologian)


By St. Symeon the New Theologian

Woe to those who say, "When shall the day of the Lord come?" and they don't care to know and understand that day. For the Lord's Presence in the faithful has already come, and is continuously coming, and to all those who wish for it, has arrived and is firm. Because, if He is indeed the light of the world (John 8.12) and to His Apostles has said, that with us until the end of time He will be (Matt. 28.20, cf. Matt. 1.23), how, being with us, will He come? Not at all. For we are not sons of darkness and sons of night, in order for the light to overtake us, but sons of light and sons of the Lord's day, hence and living in the Lord we are, and dying in Him and with Him will live, as Paul says (Acts 17.28).

About this also the Theologian thus speaks, Gregory: "What the sun is to sensible things, this exactly is God to spiritual things."

For He will be the future age and the eternal day and kingdom of heavens, bridegroom and bed and earth of the peaceful and divine paradise and king and servant, as He Himself has thus spoke: "Blessed are those servants, whom their Lord will come and find awake. Verily I say to you, He will lie them in comfort and He will be prepared to serve them" (Luke 12.37).

From the Ethical Homilies 10.