Waiting for the Lord

By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

Each January the question of the end of the world is asked anew: could this be the last year of time? The end of the world always brings visions of disaster and woes on a universal scale, so it is a morbid and fearsome issue for many, especially for those not waiting for the Lord’s Glory to come. For those who do believe in the Lord and hope in His coming, the warnings of disaster and tribulation still apply, but we are told by the Lord that when we see the signs of the end “to stand erect and raise your heads for your redemption is near at hand”. (cf. Lk 21:28) 

In a real sense, every Advent we wait with the whole Church for the Lord to come as Messiah and Savior in union with the prophets and people of the Old Testament to whom He did come after many centuries, coming in the fullness of time. So too, now believers wait for the Lord to come definitively at the end of time when He will come in all His glory and establish His Kingdom for eternity! Christians have been waiting for more than two millennia. So, waiting for the Lord has been a constant theme throughout history. The Prophet Habakkuk gives testimony to the waiting for the Lord of his day: “For the vision is a witness for the appointed time, a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint. If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” (Hab 2:3)

Waiting for the Lord is also a very real theme of our everyday life of prayer and relationship with the Lord in the here and now of our lives! We wait for Him to act in answer to our prayers, to our concerns, our work and our cries for justice, for peace, and for His help to know what to do and how to do it. Isaiah addresses this waiting for the Lord by assuring us that “The Lord is waiting to be gracious to us. Blessed are those who wait for Him!” (cf. Is 30:18-21) 

This waiting for the Lord demands faith in His goodness, hope in His promises, and even courage in the face of injustices or any form of contradiction or persecution as Psalm 27 exhorts us, “Wait for the Lord, let your hearts take courage.” 

Finally, the virtue of patience becomes so necessary in our waiting for the Lord, as St. James wrote to his congregation: “Be patient, therefore, brethren until the coming of the Lord.” (Js 5:7) This patience is described in the Greek as “remaining tranquil while awaiting an outcome”. So, complaining and grumbling against others is inimical to this peaceful patience, while St. Paul would make it the very first adjective in his famous definition of love: “Love is patient, love is kind…” (1Cor 13:4)

So, as we begin this year of the Lord Jesus, let’s resolve to grow in patience, courage, hope, and faith as we await the coming near to us of our Lord Jesus Christ this new year of grace, 2026. Happy New Year to all our readers, supporters and loved ones! Peace be with you all!