From the Desk of Father John
December 7, 2025
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This week, we enter into the Second Week of Advent. We begin to turn our hearts and minds towards the coming of Christ at Christmas. Our readings focus on the coming of the Messiah. The First Reading, from the book of the prophet Isaiah, mentions, “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Isaiah 11:1)
This famous passage from the book of Isaiah foretells the coming of the Messiah from the line of David. Isaiah goes on to mention, “Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion shall browse together,...” (Isaiah 11:6) The coming of the Messiah will coincide with the coming of a peaceful kingdom. Isaiah uses dramatic imagery to showcase the end of oppression and the establishment of a kingdom of justice and peace. The Responsorial Psalm for this week continues this theme, as it mentions, “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.” (Psalm 72)
The coming of the kingdom of God is proclaimed by John the Baptist in the Gospel this week. John the Baptist cries out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” As we think about the coming of God’s kingdom, we may think about the coming of a physical or material kingdom or a kingdom of peace on earth. While this is most likely what many had imagined when they first heard the words from Isaiah, the establishment of a physical kingdom here on earth was not the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. It was the coming of Christ that was the ultimate fulfillment of that kingdom of peace. The kingdom that Jesus established was not primarily a physical one, but one of the knowledge and presence of God’s love for us. It is a kingdom brought about through the repentance and forgiveness of sins. The kingdom spoken about in the Gospel of Matthew is that reign of peace and love in our hearts brought about through union with Christ. Throughout His ministry, Jesus would repeat the cry of John the Baptist and urge repentance for the sake of the kingdom of God. As we prepare for this coming Christmas, may we prepare for a renewed coming of Christ into our lives and a furthering of His peace in our hearts.
This week, as we are introduced to the character of St. John the Baptist, we see that his entire purpose was to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of Christ. In speaking about the purpose of his mission, John the Baptist proclaimed, “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.” (Matthew 3:11) Truly through our Baptism and participation in the Sacraments, Christ has baptized us with the grace of the Holy Spirit. We can experience the gift of the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit in our hearts as we are forgiven for our own sins and seek to forgive others their wrongs against us. This Advent, may we allow the peace of Christ and His love to reign in our hearts through the repentance of our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and through spending time in the presence of Our Lord. By seeking Christ and repenting of our sins, we will come to know that gift of peace and joy spoken about by the prophets and that the kingdom of God is present among us.