The Holy Martyrs Plato (286-305) and Roman (305)
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Luke 12:48-59
Nativity Fast. Abstinence from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
St. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that, as the Lord Jesus has taught, there will come an end of history. That time will be inaugurated by the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:29-31). We believe and long for this event to fulfill history. When that day comes we will certainly be fully aware for the glory of the Lord, who will be accompanied by the multitudes of the holy angels, no one will be able to miss or ignore. For the divine glory will be brighter than the sun and will demand everyone’s attention whether they like it or not. The Lord will arrive from the east (Matthew 24:17)—this is why Christians always faced to the east in anticipation of that glorious moment.
That awesome event will bring about the final ultimate peace and victory of good over evil, and the universal restoration of God’s reign. Before this event, a final attempt of the evil one to turn away as many souls from God as possible will take place. St. Paul prophesies about how that will occur. Notice that he does not give great detail, but the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to give just enough to help prevent those who would live through this event from apostasy—falling away. We receive from God enough knowledge for our need. Just enough so that we do not ignorantly lose our way, but not too much so that we become slothful and ignore the time given to us before the end. St. Athanasius says,
“If people knew the day of their death, they would immediately begin to neglect themselves for the greater part of their lifetime. The Word, then, has concealed both the end of all things and the time of our own death from us, for at the end of all is the end of each, and at the end of each the end of all is comprehended” (Discourses Against the Arians 3.49).