2nd Sunday of Advent
John the Baptist is a prophetic voice for all ages: his message speaks to us
today, for conversion is always part of the Christian way of living. Conversion to
each other is called for by St Paul, so that we can be tolerant of each other,
united in mind and heart.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah 11:1-10
He judges the wretched with integrity.
A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion thrusts from his roots:
on him the spirit of the Lord rests,
a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of counsel and power,
a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)
He does not judge by appearances,
he gives no verdict on hearsay,
but judges the wretched with integrity,
and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,
his sentences bring death to the wicked.
Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,
faithfulness the belt about his hips.
The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion cub feed together
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends,
their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;
into the viper’s lair
the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt, no harm,
on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.
That day, the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples.
It will be sought out by the nations
and its home will be glorious.
The Word of the Lord
Responsorial Psalm Ps 71:1
Response: In his days justice shall flourish
and peace till the moon fails.
1. O God, give your judgement to the king,
to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
and your poor in right judgement.
2. In his days justice shall flourish
and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
from the Great River to earth’s bounds.
3. For he shall save the poor when they cry
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor.
4. May his name be blessed for ever
and endure like the sun.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him,
all nations bless his name.
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Romans 15:4-9
Christ is the Saviour of all people.
Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to
teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of
how people who did not give up were helped by God. And may he
who helps us when we refuse to give up, help you all to be tolerant
with each other, following the example of Christ Jesus, so that united
in mind and voice you may give glory to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
It can only be to God’s glory, then, for you to treat each other in the
same friendly way as Christ treated you. The reason Christ became
the servant of circumcised Jews was not only so that God could
faithfully carry out the promises made to the patriarchs, it was also to
get the pagans to give glory to God for his mercy, as scripture says in
one place: For this I shall praise you among the pagans and sing to
your name.
The Word of the Lord
Gospel Acclamation Lk 3:4.6
Alleluia, alleluia!
Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
and all mankind shall see the salvation of God
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 3:1-12
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the
wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: ‘Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is close at hand’. This was the man the prophet
Isaiah spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord,
make his paths straight.
This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather
belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then
Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their
way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan
they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees
and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, ‘Brood of
vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But
if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not
presume to tell yourselves, “We have Abraham for our father”,
because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these
stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any
tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown
on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who
follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his
sandals; he will baptise 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 the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that
will never go out.’
The Gospel of the Lord
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