Second Sunday of Advent

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Monday, 8 December 2025 : Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Genesis 3 : 9-15, 20

YHVH God called the man saying to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree I ordered you not to eat?”

The man answered, “The woman You put with me gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it.” God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.”

YHVH God said to the serpent, “Since you have done that, be cursed among all the cattle and wild beasts! You will crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”

The man called his wife by the name of Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.

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Sunday, 7 December 2025 : Second Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the occasion of the Second Sunday of Advent. Therefore, since we now have already progressed about a week through this season and time of Advent, a time of spiritual and wholesome preparation for the upcoming joyful season of Christmas, when we will celebrate joyfully and gloriously the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Divine Word Incarnate Who has been born into this world to be our Saviour. And this Sunday, the theme of Advent we mark is that of Peace, after last Sunday’s Hope. This Sunday we are reminded of the True Peace which Our Lord and Saviour Himself has brought into our midst, revealing unto us all that He has planned for us, in bringing us true peace and joy that He alone can provide.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which we heard of the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the coming of the time of peace and harmony, joy and jubilation when the stump of Jesse shall bear forth a Shoot, referring to the coming of the Messiah, the Son of David, to be born into the House of David, and promised by God to be the One to bring all of creation into perfect harmony and happiness again. This is a prophecy regarding the coming of the salvation and the liberation through this same Saviour long awaited by God’s people. That same prophecy spoke of how the Spirit of the Lord will be with this Saviour, with the One Whom God would send to be with His people, Emmanuel, the One Whose Name means, ‘God is with us’.

Although at that time, it was rather vague Who this Saviour would be, besides the fact that He would be born into the House of David and that His coming would herald a period of great change, no one knows Who He really would be otherwise. And it was only when the Lord Himself came into this world that He revealed to everyone that He is truly the Son of God Himself manifested in the flesh, embodying the perfection of God’s Love, walking and dwelling in our midst. And yet, His first coming into this world would not immediately bring perfect peace and harmony, which was why some of His disciples and those who refused to believe Him and doubted Him rejected the Lord Jesus because to them He was not that same Person that the prophet Isaiah had been prophesying about.

Yet, the reality is indeed that Jesus Christ, Whom we believe to be Our Lord and Saviour is the Son of David, descended directly from King David himself and in everything that He had done throughout His ministry, He was fulfilling what the prophet Isaiah had been prophesying about in all the signs, miracles and wonders that He performed, and beyond doubt, He is indeed the Messiah, the Saviour of the whole world. But what truly happened is that, not all of the prophecies of the prophet Isaiah would come true all at once, because the perfect state of peace and harmony which Isaiah foretold of, will indeed come, but only in the future, upon the Second Coming of Christ, or also known as parousia, something that all of us are looking forward to.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, we heard of the words from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome in which the Apostle spoke of the salvation that has been granted all of us the faithful through the gift of the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, the same Saviour that God Himself has promised and reassured all of His people through His many servants throughout time. This reminder from the Apostle truly mattered for those people in Rome and elsewhere who might be facing opposition, struggles, challenges and trials from the pagans and all those who opposed them around them, including the Jewish and Roman authorities, that despite all that, the Lord has assured them of His salvation through Jesus Christ, Whom the Apostles and the disciples had witnessed in His works and Resurrection.

At the same time, St. Paul also spoke of how the salvation that God has promised was not restricted to only just the Jewish people, as although the Lord was sent first to the Jewish world and to the people of Israel and their descendants, but that was just meant as a precursor of the spreading of the Good News and truth of God’s salvation, His ever enduring and patient love for all of us mankind, meant to be shared and spread to the whole world. Ultimately, St. Paul also reassured each and every one of us that God’s salvation, grace, love, compassion and mercy have been extended to everyone, regardless of their origins or backgrounds. Everyone has a place in the kingdom that God has prepared for all those whom He has created out of love, that is all of us, without exception.

Finally, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which we heard of the story about St. John the Baptist, the one who had been sent before the coming of the Lord in order to prepare the way for His coming into this world. And we heard how St. John the Baptist harshly criticised all those Pharisees and the chief priests who sent people to question and doubt his authenticity and authority to do the works of the Lord. He rebuked them all for their wickedness, their lack of faith and obedience to the Lord in what they have done, in their hypocrisy in their faith, and in seeking attention and praise from the rest of the people, and in their overly proud and selfish attitudes in life.

St. John the Baptist himself then showed true humility as contrasted to the behaviour of those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. When he was asked and confronted whether he was the Messiah that God has promised to His people, he immediately told everyone that he was not the Messiah, but he was merely the one who preceded the coming of the Messiah, the one sent by God to prepare the way for the One Who would bring salvation to the whole world. He was merely the Herald of the Messiah, although his work and role were indeed very important. St. John the Baptist pointed out that his baptism and all of his works paled in comparison to what the Saviour would do, Who would bring forth the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, invoking the Holy Spirit of God to come into our midst, as what Christ has indeed done.

Therefore, as we have all heard from all the readings of the Scriptures that we have received today and as we have discussed them earlier, we are all reminded and called to be ever hopeful and to put our trust ever more strongly in God’s love, providence and all that He has generously provided to us, all the care and attention that He has given to us. We must not take all these for granted, but strive to do our very best in all the things we say and do, in our every actions, words and endeavours, in our every interactions with one another, so that by our examples and inspirations we may lead others ever more closely towards God and His saving grace. And as we all await the coming of God’s wonderful and everlasting Peace, let us all ourselves be the bearers of His Peace in our world today.

May all of us as Christians be the missionaries of God’s Peace, dedicating ourselves to be the peacemakers in our respective communities, in our families and among our circles of friends. Let us all bear the Light of Christ’s Hope, His Peace, Love and all the Joy that we are all preparing for this upcoming Christmas so that we may be the bearers of the Light of God to all the people we encounter, particularly to those who are still in darkness and who are suffering and in despair without hope, and all those among us who are suffering from violence and injustice. May God be with us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 7 December 2025 : Second Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 3 : 1-12

In the course of time John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea and began to proclaim his message, “Change your ways, the kingdom of God is now at hand!” It was about him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said : A voice is shouting in the desert, ‘Prepare a way for the Lord, make His paths straight!'”

John had a leather garment around his waist and wore a cloak of camel’s hair; his food was locusts and wild honey. People came to him from Jerusalem, from all Judea and from the whole Jordan valley, and they were baptised by him in the Jordan as they confessed their sins.

When he saw several Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he baptised, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who told you that you could escape the punishment that is to come? Let it be seen that you are serious in your conversion, and do not think : We have Abraham for our father. I tell you that God can raise children for Abraham from these stones! The axe is already laid to the roots of the trees; any tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.”

“I baptise you in water for a change of heart, but the One Who is coming after me is more powerful than me; indeed I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptise you in Holy Spirit and fire. He has the winnowing fan in His hand and He will clear out His threshing floor. He will gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn in everlasting fire.”

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Sunday, 7 December 2025 : Second Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Romans 15 : 4-9

And we know that whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, for both perseverance and comfort given us by the Scripture sustain our hope. May God, the source of all perseverance and comfort, give to all of you to live in peace in Christ Jesus, that you may be able to praise in one voice God, Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Welcome, then, one another, as Christ welcomed you for the glory of God. Look : Christ put Himself at the service of the Jewish world to fulfil the promises made by God to their ancestors; here you see God’s faithfulness. The pagans instead give thanks to God for His mercy, as Scripture says : Because of that, I will sing and praise Your Name among the pagans.

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Sunday, 7 December 2025 : Second Sunday of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 71 : 2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

May He rule Your people justly and defend the rights of the lowly.

Justice will flower in His days, and peace abound till the moon be no more. For He reigns from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

He delivers the needy who call on Him, the afflicted with no one to help them. His mercy is upon the weak and the poor, He saves the life of the poor.

May His Name endure forever; may His Name be as lasting as the sun. All the races will boast about Him, and He will be blessed by all nations.

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Sunday, 7 December 2025 : Second Sunday of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 11 : 1-10

From the stump of Jesse a Shoot will come forth; from his roots a Branch will grow and bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him – a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and power, a Spirit of knowledge and fear of YHVH.

Not by appearances will He judge, nor by what is said must He decide, but with justice He will judge the poor and with righteousness decide for the meek. Like a rod, His word will strike the oppressor, and the breath of His lips slay the wicked. Justice will be the girdle of His waist, truth the girdle of His loins.

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will rest beside the kid, the calf and the lion cub will feed together and a little child will lead them. Befriending each other, the cow and the bear will see their young ones lie down together. Like cattle, the lion will eat hay. By the cobra’s den the infant will play. The child will put his hand into the viper’s lair. No one will harm or destroy over My holy mountain, for as water fills the sea the earth will be filled with the knowledge of YHVH.

On that day the “Root of Jesse” will be raised as a signal for the nations. The people will come in search of Him, thus making His dwelling place glorious.

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Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the prophet Elijah in particular, and this is because the prophet Elijah has often been associated with St. John the Baptist in terms of their actions and ministries, that St. John the Baptist was considered either the second coming of Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah in him, sent with the similar mission of calling God’s people to repentance and to turn themselves back towards the path of God. And especially during this time and season of Advent, it is really very important for us to realign our lives to the Lord, and renew our commitment to Him that we will once again be focused on Him in all things.

In our first reading today, we heard from the book of the prophet Sirach which is commonplace during this time of Advent, a long exhortation on the prophet Elijah, who came before Sirach and was sent to the people of Israel in the northern kingdom. If we read through the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles we can clearly see the kind of works and labours which Elijah had done for the sake of the Lord and His people, all the hardships and challenges that he had to endure in the face of opposition, stubbornness and rejection from the people of God. The prophet Elijah laboured for many years, enduring hardships and even threats to his life, amidst everything that he had done for God’s glory.

Eventually, the works of the prophet Elijah bore many fruits, as he led many people to turn once again towards God, as they were touched by the efforts and works of this holy man of God. Elijah performed many miracles from the Lord before the people and proved to many of them that He is indeed their Lord, God and Master, and not all those false gods and idols which they had worshipped and became astray upon throughout all that time. Elijah laboured to lead the people who had gone astray from the path of the Lord that they may find their way back to Him. He was eventually then taken up to Heaven on a flaming chariot, as witnessed by the prophet Elisha, Elijah’s successor as prophet to Israel. This made Elijah to be one of the very few of those who did not experience death, and some believed that Elijah would come again.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we heard of the Lord answering the queries of the people and His disciples who were asking Him regarding the prophet Elijah, who according to some prophecies, were meant to come again to the world to herald the coming of the Lord and His salvation. The Lord told them all that Elijah had indeed come, and this was a reference to St. John the Baptist, whom some indeed believed to be the second coming of the prophet Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah, and the mission which the Lord had also entrusted to Elijah earlier in him. The Lord had sent Elijah to call His wayward people to return to Him, and that was the same that St. John the Baptist had been entrusted to do, to make straight the path for the Lord when He came into our midst.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are all reminded of this day as we have been throughout this time and season of Advent, let us all keep our attention and focus ever more on the Lord, our every efforts and works, and our preparations and plans for the upcoming Christmas season and celebrations in particular. Each and every one of us have been called by the Lord to come to Him, just as He has done through His prophets, through Elijah, Isaiah and through His Herald, St. John the Baptist. We are called to come out from the darkness and distractions present all around us in this world, and embrace once again the light of God’s truth and ever enduring love and kindness.

The question is are we willing and ready to embrace God and His love? Too often we are distracted and kept busy by the many temptations and challenges, pleasures and allures of this world. This is why we often keep ourselves closed off against the Lord and His truth and love. He has always been kind and loving towards us, but we are distracted by our many attachments and temptations present all around us. This includes how we celebrate and rejoice in this Christmas time and season as well. We can definitely relate to how many times we see all the excesses of worldly joy and pleasures, all the festivities and merrymaking, all the marketing and sales involved during this Christmas period, all around us.

However, we often neglect and forget the Lord in this time of celebration and festivities, as our joys and commemorations tend to focus a lot more on ourselves, on our desires and the image of the much-secularised Christmas that we are all familiar with. In a sense, just as the Israelites had once fallen away from the path of the Lord and ended up in the path of wickedness, disobedience and sin, hence, in the same manner, we too have often faltered in our own lives and in how we commemorate and celebrate Christmas in general. This is why today, as we are reminded of all these things, we should really remind ourselves and strive to be truly Christ-centric in our lives and also in our Christmas celebrations and events.

May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in faith, and may He empower us all so that as we enter into this one final week of time of Advent before Christmas, we may truly make good use of the time and opportunities that we have been given, to be truly committed to the Lord and to have a truly Christ-centred Christmas, remembering that Christ is the One Whom we are celebrating about, and that we may be the worthy and good bearers of His light and truth, His love and compassion to all the peoples, of all the nations. May God bless our Advent journey and our respective lives. Amen.

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Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 17 : 10-13

At that time, the disciples of Jesus asked Him, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus answered, “So it is : first comes Elijah; and he will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come; and they did not recognise him; and they treated him as they pleased. And they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”

Then the disciples understood that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist.

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Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16, 18-19

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o YHVH of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

But lay Your hand on Your instrument, on the Son of Man, Whom You make strong for Yourself. Then, we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name.

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Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Sirach 48 : 1-4, 9-11

Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, his words a burning torch. He brought a famine on the people and in his zealous love had them reduced in number. Speaking in the Name of the Lord he closed down the heavens, and on three occasions called down fire.

How marvellous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal? You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses. It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live.