Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 3, 1-12
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.”
Change
1) John. He is the figure of austerity and coherence. He invites us to remember that many times we are full of unnecessary things and that we really don’t need all that to be happy; we only need coherence in our life, and inner peace. How important it is to look at our life and understand that our actions speak of the gospel, and much louder than words!
2) Conversion. The strong word this second Sunday of Advent is “change”. We must realize that we do not do everything right and that there are things in us that we must change, not only in our relationship with God but also in our relationship with others. We must recognize that there are things we have done wrong. We must admit that, and pay the price for the mistakes we have made. But it’s also important to understand that something better will grow in us.
3) A path. Changes do not happen suddenly. Change is a process which starts with something quite simple yet difficult at the same time: knowing what it is that we must change. That is what we must work on every day, it will be our daily struggle. Of course, it is not easy and we might relapse more than once. Remember to abandon yourself in God’s hands.
May each one of us open our lives to God so that He may blossom in us, so that He may be born and keep hope alive in our hearts.
God bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Remember, heaven is our goal!
