December 7, 2025 – Second Sunday of Advent

+ From the Gospel according to Matthew (3:1-12)

In those days, John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is the one spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths!'”
Now John himself wore clothing of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region along the Jordan River were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing 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 wrath to come? Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father!’ For I tell you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Word of the Lord