2nd Sunday of Advent Year A 2025

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" ( Mt 3, 2 )

As we move further into Advent, Isaiah’s words take on a fresh glow. It’s as if he’s standing among us, gently pointing ahead and saying, “Look—hope is coming.” He dreams of the Messiah who will rise from the root of Jesse, the long-awaited descendant of David, the one God promised. This hope, of course, is fulfilled in Jesus, whom Matthew reminds us is truly the Son of David.

Isaiah imagines the Messiah as someone completely filled with God’s Spirit—overflowing with wisdom, justice, compassion and deep understanding. This is also what we see in Jesus. When he appears at the Jordan and the Spirit descends on him, we witness the start of something utterly new: a world where peace, harmony and genuine healing begin to take root.

Isaiah’s picture of this new world still stirs the heart. Wolves and lambs resting together, children safe beside creatures that once symbolised danger, images telling us that God desires a world where fear, division and violence all melt away. This is not poetry; it is a glimpse of the kind of world God longs to give us. And in our day, with all its tension and brokenness, that dream is as precious as ever.

The psalmist adds to the vision, promising justice for the poor and care for the vulnerable, while St Paul urges us to live in harmony, welcoming one another as Christ welcomes us. A world shaped by mercy, not suspicion; by unity, not rivalry.

Right at the heart of this hope-filled moment stands John the Baptist. Let us not forget just how important his role is. John’s message of repentance is not a finger-wagging lecture—it is an invitation to a change of heart. Real repentance is about wanting to live differently: choosing what is good, caring for those in need, mending relationships, and becoming the people God longs for us to be. John tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is near, so now is the time to open our hearts.

His setting in the wilderness is no accident. It takes us back to Israel’s earliest, most intimate experiences of God—the times of struggle, yes, but also of God’s closeness and new beginnings. John is saying, “God is ready to start something new again—get ready!” And the people flock to him because they can sense the authenticity of his words.

However, John knew that his message was only the beginning. He could point the way, but he could not heal the human heart. For that, we need Jesus—the Messiah who brings not just a warning, but hope; not only truth, but tenderness; not merely judgement, but restoration.

As we wait for Christmas, hang on to Isaiah’s dream and John’s invitation. Let’s be people who build bridges, who seek reconciliation, who help create pockets of peace wherever we are. In doing so, we make space for Jesus to come anew into our lives—with joy, with healing, and with that deep, transforming peace our world so desperately needs.

By Fr. Thomas O'Brien a.a.