From the Intercom Archives
Second Sunday of Advent
7 December 2025
• In today’s Gospel John’s message is a stark call to ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ He condemns the religious leaders’ empty reliance on ancestry. Reflect: Is your faith a matter of genuine, internal transformation, producing a changed life (the ‘fruit’ John demands), or is it merely a superficial identity?
• John’s role was to prepare the way for the Lord, making ‘straight paths for him.’ This involves honest self-examination. We ask ourselves: What ‘mountains’ of pride or ‘valleys’ of apathy in my life need to be leveled to make a clear, unobstructed path for Christ to reign?
• John speaks of the coming Messiah who will ‘baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’ Fire refines and purges. What is it in our lives that needs the Holy Spirit’s purifying fire to burn away pride, or self-reliance, leaving only what is genuine and dedicated to God?
• The image of the winnowing fork is one of ultimate separation and accountability. It reminds us that our choices have eternal consequences. Does the reality of final judgment influence my daily decisions to live a life of faithfulness and integrity?
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
8 December 2025
• The angel tells Mary she is ‘highly favored.’ This favor was for a unique purpose, but it also brought great challenge. Reflect that I also am loved and favored by God. Learning to know and accept this how does it help me face my own unexpected and challenging callings from God?
• Mary was ‘greatly troubled’ by the angel’s message. God does not ask for the absence of fear, but for faith that transcends it. Where in my life is God inviting me to move from initial fear or confusion to questioning but inquiry, as Mary did?
• Mary’s ultimate response is a model of radical surrender. It was not passive resignation but active, courageous cooperation with God’s plan. What is God asking me to entrust to Him? Where am I being called to surrender my own plans for His greater purpose?
• The angel’s final declaration that nothing was impossible for God is the foundation for everything. Mary believed this despite all physical evidence to the contrary. What ‘impossible’ situation in my life, relationships, or character needs me to reaffirm this truth today?
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Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)
14 December 2025
• Even John the Baptist experienced doubt in prison we hear in the Gospel today. Jesus doesn’t condemn him but offers evidence of the Messiah’s work. Can I bring my own questions and disappointments to God with similar honesty, trusting that He can handle my doubt?
• Jesus points to His deeds – the blind see, the lame walk, and the good news is preached to the poor. God’s kingdom is often revealed in acts of healing and liberation. Where do I see this healing and liberating work in my life and community? How can I be a part of it?
• Jesus warns his followers against being a ‘reed shaken by the wind.’ Following Christ requires conviction, not just fleeting enthusiasm. Is my faith and moral compass firm, or do they easily shift with cultural trends or personal challenges?
• Jesus calls John the greatest of prophets yet clarifies that the least in the kingdom is greater. True greatness in God’s eyes is not about status but about humble closeness to and imitation of Christ. Does my pursuit of being great match with Jesus’ definition – found in servanthood and intimacy with Him?
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Fourth Sunday of Advent
21 December 2025
• Joseph, described as a ‘righteous man,’ planned to divorce Mary quietly rather than expose her to public shame. His righteousness was not about strict legalism but was tempered with profound mercy. How can I blend my commitment to what is right with a spirit of compassion and grace towards others, especially when I feel wronged?
• God’s guidance came to Joseph at a moment of deep personal crisis and confusion, through a dream. This reminds us that divine revelation often meets us in our uncertainty. In the ‘quiet dreams’ of my life – in moments of prayer, silence, or wise counsel – am I creating space to listen for God’s direction even when your own plans are falling apart?
• Joseph’s obedience was immediate, and he took Mary as his wife, embracing social ridicule and accepting a life he did not plan. This required tremendous courage. What costly obedience may God be asking of me? Where am I being called to do God’s will, despite the potential for misunderstanding or personal cost?
• ‘God with us.’ This is the ultimate truth that should help us in all circumstances. How does the reality of ‘God with us’ impact my current situation – my fears, my relationships, my future? Do I live as if God is truly present in the midst of my ordinary, and sometimes messy, life?
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The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
25 December 2025
(Luke 2:15-20 Dawn Mass)
• Reflect upon the wonder that the eternal Word, present at creation, took on human nature in Jesus. This means my humanity, with its joys and struggles, is sanctified by His presence. The divine is not alien to my human experience; God has entered into it fully.
• John states the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. In moments of personal doubt, fear, or suffering, hold onto this truth. The light of Christ is more powerful than any form of darkness I face, and it can never be extinguished.
• ‘He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.’ This is a deeply personal question: In what areas of my life am I still resisting His presence? To ‘receive him’ is an active, ongoing choice of welcome and trust, not a one-time event.
• From Christ’s fullness, we have all received ‘grace upon grace.’ His love and mercy are not a single, depleted gift but an ever flowing, layered fountain. Reflect on how I can live from this generous and divine abundance rather than worrying about what I don’t have, trusting in His limitless supply for my needs.