Sunday, December 6, 2026 · Year B
Second Sunday of Advent
Prepare the way of the Lord
Comfort, my people! Isaiah announces that God is coming, and John the Baptist appears in the desert calling for repentance and pointing to one mightier than he.
The Readings
- First Reading Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
- Responsorial Psalm Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
- Second Reading 2 Peter 3:8-14
- Gospel Mark 1:1-8
Open the readings on USCCB.org →
First Reading Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
Comfort my people, says the Lord. Prepare a way in the desert. He comes to gather his flock like a shepherd.
Psalm Psalm 85
The psalm promises that kindness and truth will meet, and justice and peace will kiss.
Second Reading 2 Peter 3:8-14
God is not slow; he is patient, wanting everyone to come to repentance. We wait for new heavens and a new earth.
Gospel Mark 1:1-8
John the Baptist appears in the wilderness, calling people to repent and pointing to One mightier who is coming.
Step Into the Story
Isaiah 40 marks a turning point: the exile is ending. God speaks tenderly to his people, promising to lead them home through the desert like a shepherd. Second Peter was written to Christians wondering why Jesus had not yet returned. The answer is full of mercy: God is patient, giving everyone time to repent.
Mark begins his Gospel not in Bethlehem but in the desert with John the Baptist. His camel-hair clothing and leather belt recalled the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), whose return was expected before the day of the Lord (Malachi 3:23). Everyone who saw John knew something great was about to happen.
Meet Christ
Walk out to the Jordan with the crowds. There he is: wild hair, camel skin, a voice like thunder. John is calling the whole country to repent, and they are coming, Jerusalem and the countryside alike, confessing their sins in the river.
John points beyond himself to One mightier who is coming. That One is Jesus, and his heart is the heart Isaiah described: "Comfort, give comfort to my people." He is not coming to crush you. He is coming to carry you home like a shepherd with a lamb. Repentance just clears the road.
Name one mountain of pride and one valley of neglect in your life. This week, take one step to level each, and let Christ walk in on the road you have made.
The Church Teaches
- 114·the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus
- 116·the Spirit spoke through the prophets
- 164·the end of the world
The Prophets' Hope
God prepared for his Son's coming over centuries, making everything in the first covenant converge on Christ (CCC 522).
John the Baptist
John the Baptist is the Lord's immediate forerunner, surpassing all the prophets and the last of them (CCC 523). His baptism was for repentance (CCC 720).
New Heavens and a New Earth
At the end of time the Kingdom will come in its fullness, and the universe itself will be renewed (CCC 1042), a "new heavens and a new earth" (CCC 1043).
Conversion of Heart
Conversion aims first at the heart, then seeks visible signs and works of penance (CCC 1430). Take one concrete step this week.
Journal Prompts
What in me needs comfort, and what needs to be confronted?
What would "making a straight path" for the Lord look like in my home?
Have I mistaken God's patience for his indifference?
If John the Baptist spoke to me directly, what would he tell me to change?
Talk to God
Lord, You are patient with me. Fill the valleys of my neglect and bring low the mountains of my pride, so that You can come to me this Christmas. Amen.