The Second Sunday of Advent: December 7, 2025
This painting is located in the Chapel of St. Ambrose.
"Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight." - Matthew 3:3 (NRSVue)
In the wilderness of Advent, John’s voice rings out. It is urgent, unsettling, and full of promise. He calls for repentance, not as punishment, but as preparation. As Matthew reminds us through Isaiah’s prophecy, to prepare the way is to clear what clutters the heart so that joy might take root and grow wild.
At the Cathedral, we wait alongside Mary, who once said yes to the impossible. Her courage was quiet but defiant. It is a kind of joy that resists despair, a steadfast hope in a world that mistook power for peace. Like her, we wait not with idle hands, but with hearts awake, open to the transforming work of love.
John calls for repentance. Mary embodies it. Both know that the world must turn if it is to make room for God. Advent joy, then, is not wishful thinking. It is the deep, defiant knowing that even in wilderness and waiting, the Holy One draws near.
So, we wait with Mary’s kind of joy, so tender, brave, expectant, while trusting that joy itself can break through even the hardest ground.
The Reverend Canon Steven Lee
Vicar