Reflection for Sunday 7th December, 2025

 2nd Sunday of Advent

Prepare a Way for the Lord (Isaiah 11: 1-10 & Matt 3:1-12)

Two great prophets, Isaiah and John the Baptist, stride into our liturgical readings for the Second Sunday of Advent. We usually think of prophets as people who foretell the future but that is only partially true. The real meaning of prophecy is the unveiling and proclamation of God’s presence in dark and difficult times.

Isaiah is the voice of hope

In the dreadful years of the destruction of their temple and their exile in Babylon, Isaiah was the voice of hope for the Jewish nation. In today’s First Reading he promised the coming of a child to lead the people, someone sprung from David’s line. On him would rest the spirit of the Lord bestowing what we call the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety (dutifulness), and reverential fear of God. 

“In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Luke 18:16).

With the child’s sense of wonder Isaiah visualized the weapons of war being transformed into implements for the cultivation of land. He promised the reconciliation of traditional enemies.

“The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion cub feed together, with a little boy to lead them.”

Wars are the work of adults, so it will be a little child who will lead us to peace, the child whose birthday we will celebrate at Christmas.
In his public ministry, Jesus found that the people who accepted his teaching were those who had the child’s sense of wonder. “In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Luke 18:16).

John the Baptist

The second prophet in today’s liturgy is John the Baptist, the last of the biblical prophets. He was the one that Isaiah foretold when he said, “A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.”
John emerged on the scene after spending time in the wilderness, wearing a rough garment made of camel-hair, having fed on locusts and wild honey. Wilderness is the uncultivated land where untamed animals are a danger. Little wonder that people regarded the wilderness as the home of evil spirits. In the early Christian centuries, hermits went to the wilderness as if to confront the evil spirits on their home pitch with their prayer and penance. It was in the wilderness that the word of God came to John, calling him to prepare the way of the Lord. His key message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” Repent literally means to think again. Think again. Examine your way of living. Are you following the light of Christ or is your path of life going in the wrong direction. John recalled the advice given by Isaiah, his mentor, to the exiled people who were about to return from Babylon to Jerusalem. Their physical journey should also be a moral conversion. It is a lesson still valid, particularly in our preparation for Christmas.

Examination of conscience

John the Baptist recalled Isaiah’s roadworks and we too can take that imagery to challenge our conscience in preparing the way for Christmas.
Do I have crooked ways to straighten where I have deviated from the commandments and ideals of Christ? Are there winding ways where I am not fully honest with God … with others … with myself?

Every valley must be filled. These valleys are the low times when I wandered from God’s presence and support. Confidence in God has been low. I have allowed the bad news to take over my thinking. I have not given adequate time to prayer. Myy light of faith is very dim.
Every mountain must be laid low. These mountains are the huge obstacles which I imagine are insurmountable. I lack the confidence of the psalmist. “I lift up my eyes to the mountain. From where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth.”
What hills must be flattened? Pride makes me look down on others. I subject them to my judgement. I boss them. I need the grace of humility.
Rough ways must be made smooth. The jagged edges of my personality irritate others … when I am insensitive, lacking in generosity or unwilling to compromise.
The Sacrament of Penance and Mercy is the best way to prepare for Christmas.

Prayer: Someone is coming.

O God, may I always know you as Someone-is-Coming. May I never lose hope. Help me to see that you are always present.
Take me and use me to be someone-coming for others. May I be caring towards those who are neglected, and sensitive to those who are hurt.
Use me as the source of good news for those burdened by the sadness of sin, as the spark of joy for those who are depressed.
Maranatha, come Lord Jesus, come.