Sunday the 7th of December 2025 - The Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10/ Ps 72(71)/ Romans 15:4-9/ Matthew 3:1-12

Today we light the second Advent wreath candle representing faith and called "Bethlehem’s Candle." Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, also the birthplace of King David. The second candle is also purple to symbolise preparation for the coming king.

We spend much of our time waiting, sometimes patiently, sometimes not so patiently. We wait at the airport check-in, we wait at security, we wait at the departure gate. We wait for buses, we wait in line to be served in shops and at the bank, we wait in the doctor's and dentist’s surgery in places literally called waiting rooms. We even have to wait at home when we are put on hold as we try to speak to a real person about some issue or another. Most, if not all, of this waiting can be frustrating and feels like time wasted. But the waiting we are doing during this season of Advent is a different sort of waiting. It is a waiting full of joy and expectation. It is a waiting that is productive rather than time-wasting. It is a pause in our normally hectic lives when we can contemplate and prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

Today, as we light the second candle on the Advent wreath, we are reminded that this joyful waiting has a purpose. We contemplate how we will celebrate the birth of Jesus into our world all those years ago, his promised return at the end of time as we know it, but also, and crucially, his continued presence to us now, in this very moment. The voice crying out in the wilderness today is John the Baptist, and his message is urgent, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.” What does this preparation actually look like? And how is our Advent waiting different from all that frustrating waiting we do every day?

The prophet Isaiah paints a stunning picture of what we're waiting for, a world transformed by the Spirit of the Lord. It is a vision so radical it almost seems impossible, the wolf living with the lamb, the leopard lying down with the young goat, a little child leading them all. This isn't just poetic imagery about animals getting along. Isaiah is describing what happens when God's justice and peace truly reign, when the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and strength transforms not just individuals, but all of creation.

Hear what Isaiah has to say about the one who is to come. He will not judge by appearance or hearsay. He will judge the poor with justice, and decide fairly. This is the Lord we are preparing to meet, The Lord who sees beyond face values, who hears the cries of those the world ignores, who brings justice where there is oppression and peace where there is conflict. A justice the world desperately needs. This is why our Advent waiting is different. We are not just waiting in a line. We are actively preparing ourselves to recognise and receive this transforming presence. Saint Paul, in the second reading, explains this. He tells us that everything written in Scripture was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Hope is the key word. Our waiting is not just passive resignation; it is active joy filled hope. Paul urges us to live in harmony with one another, to welcome one another as Christ welcomes us. This is how we prepare the way of the Lord, not just in our hearts, but in our relationships, in our communities, in how we treat one another.

John the Baptist, that wild prophet shouting in the desert, pulling no punches, calling out the community leaders as a brood of vipers, questioning the motives of those coming to him for baptism. He uses harsh but honest language, challenging people who wish to appear righteous but without any substance, people who claim Abraham as their father but without living as his children. John the Baptist gives a clear message to produce good fruit through repenting. Waiting for the Lord isn't about passively standing in line. It is about transformation, about allowing God's Spirit, the Spirit Isaiah described, to transform us.

What makes our Advent waiting productive? It demands something of us. John the Baptist tells us the axe is already at the root of the tree. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. This is not meant to terrify us, but to wake us up. The time is now. The Lord is coming. Are we ready? Ready for the one John says is coming after him. The one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire. This is the same Spirit spoken about by Isaiah. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength, bringing a fire not of destruction but of purification. This is what we are waiting for in Advent, the coming of a Lord that does not judge in condemnation but in mercy that transforms us into his image. How do we make the best of Advent, make our waiting productive, prepare well for Christmas? We must examine our lives honestly. What are the crooked paths in our hearts that need to be made straight? When have we relied upon ourselves rather than on God’s grace? Advent should not make us feel guilty, but it should help us see clearly where we need God's transforming touch.

We should bear fruit from the way we repent and live our lives. This is not about earning God’s love, we already have that unconditionally, it is how our transformed life will reflect the reality of the kingdom of God. It is about treating others with the justice and mercy that Isaiah described, welcoming one another as Christ welcomed us, as Paul suggests, creating spaces in our lives and communities where the wolf can dwell with the lamb, where enemies can become friends, where God's peace can truly reign. We must open ourselves to the Holy Spirit. John came baptising with water for repentance, but Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit and fire. During this time of Advent, let us invite that Spirit into our lives, ask for the wisdom to see as God sees, the understanding to understand his will, the counsel to know how to live, and the strength to endure. This is the joyful productive waiting of Advent, waiting to receive the fullness of God’s love, the power of his Spirit, and the hope of his kingdom. May we receive the grace to wait and prepare with joy and purpose.

God Bless Brendan.