Second Sunday of Advent
Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12
Prepare properly to welcome the advent of the Savior

Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. Matthew narrates to us the mystery of the baptism of repentance proclaimed by John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, in the Jordan River.

We often hear various sounds from this world, such as the voices of people conversing, the rustling of fallen leaves, and the noises emitted by public transportation. When our ears encounter these sounds that we consider pleasant, we shift our attention from the task at hand to listening to these sounds and the messages they convey to us.

We often have the opportunity to hear everything about the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven revealed to us by God through His servants, the sacred ministers of the Church. Today, God, through the forerunner of His beloved Son, St. John the Baptist, announces to us the joyful news of the imminent arrival of the Savior, Christ.

Today, St. John the Baptist adopted a method acceptable to the Jews — baptism — to help them, through receiving this baptism, amend their ways, prepare their hearts and minds, and welcome the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. He also exhorted those who came to receive his baptism, in his own words, to take immediate action, leave their past sinful lives, and live their present lives well. However, he immediately made it clear that the baptism he performed was fundamentally different from the baptism performed by the Messiah, Christ. John’s baptism carried the meaning of repentance. But the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ is a sacrament that brings salvation to mankind.

In this Advent season, let us prepare our hearts and minds to welcome the Savior, opening ourselves to the Word of God with a spirit of obedience, so that He may transform us from within and without, making us new creatures whom He willingly chooses.

©Totus Tuus 2025
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025