Just bringing up Camping's name might make some laugh or roll their eyes, but many of his followers (or former followers) really believed him and made some pretty poor choices based on his predictions of the world ending on particular dates.
In general, we are very interested in the future and how things might turn out or end. Christians are no different. In fact, I think we are more susceptible to be overly concerned with the "end times".
Advent - "coming" - is a time for preparing for the Kingdom of Christ. We reflect on the meaning of the Incarnation and the Parousia (the "Second Coming"), but also upon the state of the Kingdom of Christ in our own hearts.
It's a good time to think about "the end", but not in the way Camping talked about. It's a good time to think about your end and what that will mean, because your own personal end time is certainly coming. Do you know the day or the hour of that time?
That's why the Church teaches us to focus more about the preparation of our own hearts for the "last things" rather than the particular circumstances of the "end times".
Kathy links to another post of hers about Camping which is a pretty good read about what the Church says about what many think about when they think about "the end times", the so-called rapture. Read it here.
Those "last things"?
Death, Judgment, Hell, Heaven.
In "the end" it will be Heaven or Hell, and it will be like Burger King; "Have it your way." Only, our lives will have determined the order we placed. There will be no combo, but I bet the family meal will be great.
When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works, and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace. (CCC 682)
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