Is The Church of Today Praying for The Parousia? The Holy Spirit- Inspired Plea for The Second Coming of Christ in The Liturgy

Abstract

Does the contemporary Church pray for the parousia? The article takes into account the contemporary liturgical texts. According to the words of Apocalypsis, the Holy Spirit inspires the joyful prayer for the parousia. That’s why this prayer, if actually present, can be treated as the source of light on the intrinsic activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church. In the Missal and Divine Office many texts concerning the final coming of Lord can be found. Predominantly in advent, claims like: “Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus” are to be heard. Does it mean that the Church really requests the God to accomplish the story of this world? It seams difficult to distinguish, especially in the eucharistic worship, between the liturgical retrospection, the prayer for sacramental coming of our Lord here and now, His very presence in our history and the claim for eschatological fulfillment. Apart from this, we find numerous prayers for help, in order that we could prepare ourselves for the events next to parousia, that is for the Last Judgement and resurrection. The Church also humily asks the Lord Jesus and God the Father for overcoming the death, merciful judgement, for the final justice, for the elimination of every evil and resurrection in glory for the believers. But can we say that the voice of the Church – the Bride missing the final presence of the Saviour, is to be heard in contemporary liturgical worship? Theologians, like e.g. Joseph Ratzinger, suppose, we cannot dare to express this prayer nowadays as the author of “Didache” did. However, wherever even in timid form appears the prayer for parousia, we hear in it the joyful claim of the Holy Spirit who encourages the Church to desire the full presence of the Lord, the unique divine justice and to wait for the eternal fulfillment in the community of resurrection.Dr IZABELLA SMENTEK – doktor teologii dogmatycznej. Doktorat na Papieskim Wydziale Teologicznym w Warszawie nt. "Eschatyczność Kościoła w ujęciu modeli eklezjologicznych kard. Avery Dullesa". Publikacje w „Warszawskich Studiach Teologicznych” i innych periodykach naukowych. Autorka książki "Eschatologia trynitarna. Prawda o Trójcy Świętej jako punkt wyjścia eschatologii" (2012).Papieski Wydział Teologiczny w Warszawie13/217120