Hearing The Word

A weekly newsletter delivering context and insight into the Sunday Gospels.

December 7, 2025

Second Sunday of Advent

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."

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Preparing the Way of the Lord

~Kelly Anderson, S.S.L., Ph.D

Associate Professor of Biblical Studies for the Major Seminary, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary + Ambler, Pa.

Much could be said about this complex Gospel, but I’ll only make three points.

1. Elijah and John the Baptist

The story of Elijah is recounted in 1 Kings 17–2 Kings 2. At that time, Israel, the Northern kingdom, is committing heinous and gruesome sins, and so God sends Elijah to preach repentance to avert judgment, which is cleansing from evil. Elijah is a compelling prophet who works many miracles, but despite his awesome power, the people do not repent, and Elijah’s mission is a failure. Sadly, God’s judgment falls upon Israel, and it is destroyed since it has caused great evil. But God’s mercy endures forever, and he slowly discloses his plan to raise up a figure like Elijah who will again call the people to repentance prior to judgment, but this time the judgment will be cosmic and all-encompassing. The clothing and the mission of John the Baptist show that he is the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the return of Elijah, and thus the Baptist makes a clarion call for repentance prior to the coming judgment of God. And this judgment is the cross, the judgment on the world, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will convict the world of sin (John 16:8). And so judgment is a blessing for those who repent, but condemnation for those who do not.

2. Repentance

Repentance is how we “prepare the way of the Lord,” and the means of avoiding condemnation. John speaks boldly to the leaders who want to be baptized without repentance. It is hypocritical and pointless. If they do not repent, they will suffer the cleansing power of God, depicted in the Gospel as a “winnowing fan,” or “clearing the threshing floor,” and “burning the chaff.”

3. The Holy Spirit

But for those who repent, the “judgment” of God becomes a great gift: the Holy Spirit and fire. Fire will purify the repentant heart, and the Holy Spirit will bring the humble believer into a relationship with God, deep in the heart of the Trinity.

When the Desert Becomes a Path

~Stan Sienkiewicz

Saint Albert the Great + Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Advent begins with a startling scene with John the Baptist emerging from the desert, calling out, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.” Before we rush to respond, the Gospel invites us to notice where John has come from. He appears out of the desert, a place where God has always formed His people. The desert is quiet, stripped down, uncluttered. It is the place where noise dies, and the heart begins to hear again. In the silence of that wilderness, John learned to recognize God’s voice and Advent is a time for us to do the same.

The weeks before Christmas can be some of the noisiest of the year, filled with plans, pressure, and constant rushing but God speaks most clearly in stillness. Advent invites us to carve out our own “desert time” a few quiet minutes each morning, a pause in the evening, a moment of Scripture or prayer when everything else is put aside. It is in the quiet that we remember what truly matters, and it is in the quiet that we hear the gentle footsteps of a God who is drawing near.

But the desert is not only a place of listening; it is also a place of preparation. John does not simply say “wait.” He says prepare. Isaiah’s prophecy describes roadwork, the clearing of obstacles so the King may enter freely, valleys filled, mountains lowered, crooked paths made straight. That is the inner work of Advent. Preparing the way means asking what in my life needs leveling or clearing. What resentment has grown high? What discouragement has carved a deep valley? What habit has twisted my path away from God? Preparing the way does not require perfection. It requires honesty. It means noticing where I need forgiveness, where I need patience, where I need to reach out, let go, or begin again. Advent preparation is not about making myself worthy; it is about making space.

All of this preparation is rooted in one truth. He is coming. John’s final words lift our eyes beyond our own efforts, “One mightier than I is coming.” Advent is not primarily about what we do, but about the God who approaches us with tenderness and power. The One who comes is stronger than our sins, deeper than our fears, and more faithful than our wandering hearts. He comes quietly like dawn over the desert, but He comes to save, to heal, and to renew.

May this Advent be a time where the quiet of the desert opens our ears, where honest preparation clears our hearts, and where hope grows as we remember that the Lord is truly on His way.