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Second Sunday of Advent Homily – December 7, 2025

    Second Sunday of Advent (A) 2025

    INTRO: Just picture…. tree trimming!!!!??

    Our family would get together; sip some beverages, listen to Christmas music, and divide up the duties of trimming the tree.

    I got to do the lights……!!!

    How many of you HAVE CERTAIN WAY TO DO THE LIGHTS???

    So here I am…doing the lights….and ALL OF SUDDEN, I hear:

    Um, JIM, don’t you want to GO AROUND THE TREE doing the lights, instead of up and down???

    Uh, O – K – A – Y????

    So, I start going around the tree…moving that ladder a million times…. going round and round….and ALL OF A SUDDEN, I hear:

    Um, JIM…. Could you put the lights INSIDE the tree more? Not just on the ends???? And could you attach them with that little clip!!!!!

    HA

    Ever happen to you?

    Well… as I experience it, ALL OF US are OPEN TO CRITICISM! 

    As far as criticizing goes I would say what matters most, is HOW we say things, and for many times in these kinds of situations we SHOULD…. THINK BEFORE WE SPEAK!

    Not sure if JOHN THE BAPTIST DID THAT in today’s Gospel from Matthew???

    He vocally criticized the Pharisees and Sadducees, who wanted to be baptized…………… He did not see them having sincere repentance of their past, nor going forward to follow Christ.

    He saw them as simply “going through the motions” and not fully embracing a baptized in Christ way of life.

    GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS is not good, not sincere.

    All of us must be REAL about following Christ and His ways, fully adopting them as our NEW way of life. This Second Sunday of Advent is a great reminder to be more sincere about our Catholic faith.

    To me JOHN THE BAPTIST wanted sincere repentance.
    And we all know that the Pharisees and Sadducees were not sincere, not ready to really follow Jesus.

    But following Jesus is what is seen in our CATECHUMENS this year…. AND THAT IS THE KIND OF PERSON that we WANT to baptize at the Easter Vigil…. one who could break away from the past to meet CHRIST and sincerely follow in His ways!

    CONCLUSION:

    May the Spirit of the Lord, rest upon all of us …. a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, and a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord….to follow Christ’s way of living.

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