2025-12-06 5:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

Good evening everyone and welcome to the Saturday Vigil Mass for the Second Sunday of Advent. Our Gospel reading today (Matthew 3:1-12), presents John the Baptist as a prophetic figure who calls people to repentance and a changed life in preparation for the coming of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven. The passage emphasizes the urgency of genuine inner transformation over mere outward religious observance, culminating in a warning of impending judgment. Key Themes for Reflection The Call to Repentance: John the Baptist appears in the wilderness proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near". This repentance (Greek metanoia) involves more than simply feeling sorry; it requires a total change in one's life direction, lifestyle, and mindset, turning away from sin and toward God's reign. This call is for all people, including active church members and leaders today, to continually re-examine their lives. Bearing "Fruit Worthy of Repentance": When the Pharisees and Sadducees come to him, John calls them a "brood of vipers" and demands that they "bear fruit worthy of repentance". He warns that simply having Abraham as an ancestor (or being a member of a specific religious group today) offers no automatic salvation. True faith must be evident in one's actions and lifestyle, not just in words or heritage. Humility and Authority: John demonstrates extreme humility, living a simple, prophetic life and declaring he is unworthy even to carry the sandals of the one coming after him. This contrasts sharply with the religious leaders who are full of pride and presumption about their status. The reflection challenges modern readers to consider their own humility and whether personal pride prevents them from fully surrendering to God's will. The Coming Judgment and the Holy Spirit: John's message includes both hope and warning. He distinguishes his water baptism for repentance from Jesus' future baptism "with the Holy Spirit and fire". This imagery of the winnowing fork gathering wheat into the barn and burning the chaff with "unquenchable fire" symbolizes God's ultimate act of separating the righteous from the wicked. The "fire" can be understood as the fire of judgment for the unrepentant and the cleansing, empowering fire of the Holy Spirit for believers. Personal Application Self-Examination: Reflect on areas in your life that may need a radical change or "reorientation" to align with God's purposes. Action over Status: Consider how you can "bear fruit" through concrete actions of love, justice, and obedience, rather than relying on a past commitment or religious identity. Daily Repentance: View repentance not as a one-time event, but as an ongoing, daily lifestyle of acknowledging your limitations and allowing God's grace to work within you. Prepare the Way: Ask how you can, like John the Baptist, prepare the way for the Lord in your own life and the lives of others, challenging complacency and pointing toward Jesus. Our Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 72: "In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound forever."