Commentary on the Gospel – December 7, 2025

Dear brothers and sisters, peace and all good to you.

On this second Sunday of Advent, two great figures appear before us: Isaiah and John the Baptist. They notice that our world is quite old and worn, and they speak to us about gardening and public works. On the one hand, in the middle of the cold season, with the trees bare, flowers begin to appear, and we are told that it is good to prune and even cut down many useless trees. On the other hand, we must fill the potholes, clean the road signs so they can be seen clearly, and strengthen the pavement, because we are about to receive an important visitor and we want to make His arrival easier.

The first reading is a complete dream. And Advent is a time to dream. Just as parents who are expecting a child dream about that child, so the prophet dreamed about that new shoot growing from the stump of Jesse. He saw him filled with the gifts of the Spirit. And he dreamed of the changes that would happen with his presence: a universal peace and reconciliation.

We would love this vision to be real: that violence would disappear from the earth, that there would be no disputes or hostility, that the wolf would live with the lamb, and that a small child would not fear wild animals and could even lead them. It is a beautiful dream of a wonderful world. More than once, various dreamers have tried to create such a world on earth, developing different utopian theories about an ideal state. But sadly, no one has managed to come close to that ideal, and revolutions aimed at building a non-violent society have ended in terror, more violence, and greater injustice.

Probably there cannot be such an order in this world, just as a wolf cannot stop eating sheep. The news that reaches us through the media is often a true nightmare. But we can hope to free ourselves from violence; we can move toward that goal, which will only be fully reached in God’s Kingdom and in eternal life. And every step we take toward that goal is very important for our soul.

We need to defend ourselves from despair by dreaming, like the prophet. Even if we know that universal reconciliation belongs to the fulfilled life of God’s Kingdom. But even now we must make small or larger anticipations of that perfect peace. In short: let us take care of our gestures, take care of our welcome, and learn to daydream good dreams. In this way we will open a path for the Lord who is coming.

In the second reading, we receive an invitation to welcome others. And this leads to a few questions: You who have been welcomed by God—do you open the doors of your heart wide? Or do you open them just a little, leaving people on the threshold without inviting them in, without saying, “Make yourself at home”? Your initial attitude toward others—keeping the basic prudence we owe to strangers—is it one of reserve, of many reservations, or of sincere hospitality? Do you avoid people who may seem a bit difficult for you? Do you push them aside? Do you offer personal attention? We can also read this on a social level: the marginalized, migrants…

And now we arrive at John’s baptism. It is an invitation to begin a path of interior purification. That was the meaning of the baptism practiced by John, the forerunner of Jesus. For those who received it, it was a gesture that confirmed their desire to have hearts ready for God’s coming. But we can distort that baptism and reduce it to nothing more than getting wet. We have a remarkable ability to empty things of their meaning. This is what the Baptist seems to say to the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to be baptized. They thought it was enough to fulfill a ritual. But the truth is that a ritual alone is like a trunk with no roots and no fruit.

Let us take an example: the sign of the cross we make when we bless ourselves. What do we want to express when we make this sign? What does this sign mean in itself? It can mean many things: a desire to be protected by the powerful sign of Christ’s cross; or a desire to shape our thoughts according to Christ’s thoughts (when we sign our forehead); a desire to shape our words according to Christ’s words (when we sign our mouth); a desire to shape our loves and wills according to Christ’s love and will (when we sign our chest); we may also want to express our willingness to embrace the cross in our lives.

Or think of another simple gesture, like a greeting. If we don’t put a bit of soul into it, it becomes another ritual reduced to pure routine. But the fact that it is a habitual gesture does not mean it must be empty. We can say “hello” and run away, or we can greet someone and actually take interest in the person we meet. Only when we live our gestures this way do they have meaning. Only then is the sign of the cross more than a movement, more than a doodle we trace on our body. We don’t fool ourselves nor anyone else. This is what John says to those men: “I baptize you with water so that you may be converted.”

The axe that cuts trees at the root has the same function Jesus gives to the pruning shears that cut the vine and free it from useless branches that steal the precious sap and suffocate it (cf. Jn 15:2). The fallen trees thrown into the fire are not people—whom God always loves as His children—but the roots of evil, present in every person and in every structure, which must be destroyed so they cannot grow again (Mt 13:19). These cuts are always painful, but those made by God are providential: they create the conditions for new branches to appear, capable of bearing abundant fruit.

So then, brothers and sisters, let us not neglect ourselves. It is time for conversion! The Kingdom of Heaven is near—right at the door! God comes to you, and you run away from Him, but the truth is that you are running away from yourself. God is close, but you move far from Him. Do not flee so much—God runs faster. God wants to enter your house and remain with you. He does not ask for merits, but for your faith and your hospitality. Open your doors to God with confidence. Do not be afraid, for God comes with water, with fire, and with the Spirit. This is what you need to be filled with life. Let yourself be washed by God’s mercy, so you may become a new person. Take advantage of the moment. Forgiveness is still free…