December 7, 2025, Second Sunday of Advent
Lectionary #4, Matthew 3: 1-12

Scripture
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now, the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Reflection
Soft-spoken John the Baptizer was not. His message and his mission were the most crucial any man ever had. He announced the coming of the Messiah. Some letters are more important than others. Some go by first-class mail, some by registered mail, and some by special delivery. This one was definitely registered, hand-delivered mail. And personal.
The Baptizer was clearly asking people to sign up, to commit. It is revealing that not every gospel contains duplicate content like the others. Only Luke has the parable of the Prodigal Son. For example, in all four gospels, John the Baptizer preaches the message of repentance. What does the Gospel think of repentance?

• Repentance is complete. John the Baptizer says: “Reform your lives!” The entire house must be cleaned and fumigated, from cellar to attic. Not all houses have cellars, but all souls have them. The cellars of the soul can be dark and mysterious, with many hiding places. When John says “your lives,” he means every part of the house; my whole existence has to turn toward God.

• Repentance needs confession of sins. Plato said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This is part of the general “ménage”. There is nothing pleasant about it, maybe about as enjoyable as a root canal, but not as expensive. But when finished, it is scented oil for the soul, a bouquet of sheer delight for the spirit. We are recouping the Lord’s presence and grace. Every sacrament of reconciliation should be a celebration. It is not some formality we have to comply with. It is an event in any life—a day to be marked in red and remembered.

• Repentance is one of the Lord’s most valued gifts, and one of the most costly: he paid for it in blood. The emphasis is on the word ‘gift’. The new status we possess after reconciliation is a pure gift of grace. John the Baptizer says: “I baptize you in water… he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.” Sin is an offense against God, forgivable by God alone. After being purified, we are invaded by the Spirit. God is the only Person in the whole vast universe who forgives by sending a Person as a gift. Giving the Spirit, He gives himself.

• Repentance does not mean only taking away sin from our lives. It means reintroducing positive acts, such as forgiveness, among others. Having been forgiven, I learn to forgive. No one is downsizing the tall task of granting a pardon to another. This can be the most awesome moral duty we have to perform.
  This gospel of the Baptizer calls us forth beyond ourselves. What is involved here is not only one conversion, but an endless series of conversions, each one bringing us closer to Him in love. But this is impossible unless, through that exact conversion, we come closer to one another. A dream? Yes, and our only path to a complete, fulfilled life.

La Salette Invocation
Our Lady of La Salette, reconciler of sinners,
pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to you.