SUNDAY GOSPEL REFLECTION

December 14 2025 - Gaudete Sunday

Exclusive to this website English translation of a great homily from Vatican Radio for this Sunday's Gospel. The homilist, Fr Fabio Rosini, is a renowned speaker and fills the Roman basilicas with young people!

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

December 7th 2025. Second Sunday of Advent

GOSPEL: Matthew 3:1-12

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Matthew 3, 1-12

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel's hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
'We have Abraham as our father.'
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize 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 his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

 

1. Advent is not so much an invitation for us to get close to the Lord as it is the revelation that he has made himself close to us. Advent is not about us worrying about what we have to do, but a contemplation and openness towards what he is doing in us

On this second Sunday of Advent, we hear the precious announcement of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” This might sound like a threat. Indeed, the entire passage can be read with a certain tension, but the Kingdom of Heaven is a joyful thing that had been so long awaited by the people of Israel. Consider the key term of this passage, “The Kingdom of Heaven is near”. We might think of this as a topographical closeness, as if the Kingdom as an entity is physically near, but in the original Greek, it really reads, “The Kingdom of Heaven is approaching”. In other words, it is God that has taken the initiative. Our King is coming to us. Advent is not so much an invitation for us to get close to the Lord as it is the revelation that he has made himself close to us. Advent is not about us worrying about what we have to do, but a contemplation and openness towards what he is doing in us. “Make straight the way of the Lord” is not an exhortation to make straight our own path, but to make the Lord’s path straight, to remove those obstacles that prevent him from entering our lives. We often try to turn the faith into something small and portable, something that fits in with our way of life, but Advent is calling us to be open to the Lord, what he wants to do, which is always different to our plans and expectations.

 

2. The strange characteristics of the Baptist signify that God is resetting history. John, dressed in this primitive manner, announces that history is going to have a new beginning. What we have to realise is that the Christian faith is not something that depends on our initiative, but on the new thing that God is doing.

John the Baptist is wearing a garment made of camel’s hair with a leather belt. His food is locusts and wild honey. The primitive garment recalls the clothing sewn by the Lord for Adam and Eve after they had made themselves naked by stripping themselves of their relationship with God. John the Baptist marks a new beginning in humanity’s relationship with the Lord. The locusts recall the plagues of the Old Testament and the journey towards the Promised Land. In summary, these characteristics of the Baptist signify that God is resetting history. John, dressed in this primitive manner, announces that history is going to have a new beginning. What we have to realise is that the Christian faith is not something that depends on our initiative. It is not that God created the world and now we simply follow his rules and pursue our own lives. No, God is always creating, always putting into action our salvation, searching us out in every event of our lives. Even the most difficult and painful aspects of our lives can be openings to salvation. In these things the Lord is knocking on the door.

 

3. The happy news of Advent is that it is a time to chop away and be liberated from that which is unfruitful in our lives. This year, let us allow the Lord to enter and to strip away that which is useless, that which does not belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. If our life circumstances are stripping us of something, maybe it is something that is not so essential after all.

Advent wants to transport us to a completely new beginning, a radical availability to what the Lord wishes to accomplish in us. John the Baptist insults the Pharisees by calling them a race of vipers. They wish to reduce religion to rituality. In fact, they will go on to reject Christ because he does not conform to their way of doing things. This is the risk we all run: we deify our vision and make an idol of our way of thinking, remaining closed to what the Lord wishes to do with us. How many times it happens that it is at a moment of suffering or difficulty that we begin a new way of life. In these situations, people feel impoverished, unable to resolve the difficulty themselves. Then, finally, they become open to the way of the Lord, what the Lord wishes to do with them. In the Eastern tradition, John the Baptist is always depicted with a tree nearby and an axe at its base. The happy news of Advent is that it is a time to chop away and be liberated from that which is unfruitful in our lives. This year, let us allow the Lord to enter and to strip away that which is useless, that which does not belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. If our life circumstances are stripping us of something, maybe it is something that is not so essential after all. Jesus says that we should have our treasure in heaven where the thief cannot steal and the moth cannot destroy. Whatever the thief can steal, whatever the corruption of this world can take from us, let them have it! For whatever it is, it is not of eternity, it does not belong to the deepest truth of who we are.

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY

During their sojourn of forty years in the desert, the people of the Israel learned that life was precarious and that they needed to place their trust in the Lord. When John the Baptist appears, it is in the desert and he is dressed in the manner of a pilgrim. He is challenging all of us to enter the desert, shed what we do not need and turn back to the Lord. What is the Advent of the Lord? It involves an axe and a fire coming into my life. There are many things in my life that must be shed. We must be ready to be pruned and to accept losses. Those who have major difficulties in discernment are those who are not willing to lose anything. The Lord is good and beautiful; therefore I must be ready to lose that which is not good and beautiful; I must be ready to shed that which is ambiguous in my life. We must be freed from the chaff that does not bear fruit, from branches that are stupid and useless. Advent is a time to praise God who wants to do something in my life that is good, beautiful and fruitful. Let us allow the Lord to do this. Our hearts must be ready to be freed from that which is useless. We cling to the chaff that leads nowhere. The Lord wishes constantly to purify us. The theme of purification is essential in the spiritual life. That which weighs us down must be discarded. Our Saviour wishes to draw us into a life that is simple, sober, agile and free; a life that cannot be lost. The Holy Spirit comes as fire and frees the Church from its delusions, wastes of time and deceptions. He frees Christians from that which is non-Christian and frees humanity from what is inhuman. We must ask the Lord to strike us in this wholesome way, even if it hurts. And it will hurt, because we are attached to small and useless things. John the Baptist comes, dressed as a pilgrim, to bring us all on pilgrimage, to bring us into the desert of purification, to bring us to the light to the kingdom of God.

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“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

November 30 2025. First Sunday of Advent

GOSPEL: Matthew 24:37-44

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Matthew 24, 37-44

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.

‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

 

1. Does this text cause you anguish? It is only pointing out a simple truth, that one day this life will end and only that which is eternal in us will remain.

As we begin the adventure of Advent, why do we read a Gospel in which Jesus speaks of things that cause anguish? In the time of Noah, Jesus remarks, people continued eating, drinking and marrying right up to the moment of the Flood But instead of interpreting this text in an anxious way, we should consider that Advent (and this passage) are presenting us with nothing but the simple truth: man does not know how or when he will meet his end. Humanity, in general, has an erroneous way of looking at things, carrying on as if his life will never change, as if the things that he has at arm’s reach now will remain at arm’s reach. We tend to make absolutes out of the present moment, the concrete problems of today. The truth is that everything only has true sense in the light of the Lord. One day he will come and take what is of heaven, but what is not of heaven will remain here. Jesus tells us that, of two men working in the fields, one will be taken and one left. There are attitudes and things of this world that do not bring us anywhere. Those things will one day be left behind.

 

2. It is better to face up to a challenging truth than to live with a comfortable delusion. Better to realize that there is an end than to live convincing ourselves that everything is fine and will continue this way forever.

This text provides us with a very wise and important key for living our daily lives. It tells us that there is something which one day will go beyond the threshold of death, and it is to that thing only that I should devote my attention. Sometimes, in reflective moments, we ask ourselves if this thing I am doing will ever lead to anything good. In a sense, the Son of Man is passing us by at that moment and encouraging us to leave behind that which is of no eternal value. This is not a decision that should cause us anguish! It is the simple truth that we are called to make decisions based upon an eternal perspective. It is better to face up to a challenging truth than to live with a comfortable delusion. Better to realize that there is an end than to live convincing ourselves that everything is fine and will continue this way forever. For example, if there is a difficulty in the family, I might be very keen to justify myself and defend my own interests. But I really need to be aware that one day the end of my life will come and I should consider if I might one day be ashamed of my present behaviour. What does it matter if I lose this material thing? What really matters is that I have done my best to forgive my brother, to accept my father with his limits. Thus I can one day present myself before the Lord and say, “I did my best to love my brother, to honour my father”. Too often we have a myopic way of looking at reality, seeing things from a very small and limited perspective.

 

3. We tend to think we know everything and understand everything, but it is only when we look at things in the light of God and act accordingly that things ultimately will come to good fruition.

Noah is a very interesting character. He constructs a ship on the side of a mountain, far from the sea. He teaches us that we should work to construct things from a different perspective, the perspective of where things are heading. There are people who are always asking about the causes of events, and others who ask about how they will end. Noah looks at the situation around him and, inspired by the Holy Spirit and from the direct revelation of God, he knows that high waters are coming. Noah knows that one day we must confront the consequences of things. We tend to think we know everything and understand everything, but it is only when we look at things in the light of God and act accordingly that things ultimately will come to good fruition. We must seek to behave and act according to this more authentic vision. Advent encourages us to see beyond today, to look at the end of things, to have a non-infantile perspective. Children cannot see past the present moment but adults must look beyond, realising that my life will one day end and I must answer for the things that I have done. If this causes us anguish, then perhaps we have cut ourselves off from the truth, from right principles that enable us to build in a lasting way.

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY

In the Gospel, Jesus mentions the flood at the time of Noah. The fact is that many floods are necessary in the life of each one of us. Many things need to be washed away at regular intervals so that the Lord can enter our lives more fully and we can make a new beginning. In our society today, we are obsessed by physical beauty, nutrition, wellbeing and self-referential “romantic” relationships. If my life is of this sort, then my own ego is the master of my house. Then, when the Son of Man comes, when a crisis occurs, I will have difficulty coping. I will be like the people at the time of Noah who are swept away by the impending disaster. Jesus says, “The Son of Man is coming like a thief at a time you do not expect”. But if I make Jesus the master of my house, then he will not come like a thief. No thief steals from his own house! I am called to renounce possessions, projects, and the tyranny of my own ego. I am called to permit Jesus to be the master of my life and my world. When Jesus is master, then I am always ready to interrupt my projects or activities, to change direction and rethink my plans, in order to follow the one and only master of my life

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

November 23 2025. Feast of Christ the King

GOSPEL: Luke 23:35-43

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Luke 23:35-43

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
"He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself."
Above him there was an inscription that read,
"This is the King of the Jews."
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
"Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us."
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
"Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

 

1. Everyone is insulting Christ because he does not save himself. But Christ does not think of himself because he only seeks to save us.

The Feast of Christ the King, final Sunday of the year. By means of this feast, the Church recapitulates the entire liturgical year and we bow before the only true king. Many kings surround us, many powers rule over us and seek to orient us towards things that are not compatible with the only true King. We are presented with Jesus crucified and we hear the many voices who insult him and tell him to save himself – the one thing that he does not do. A king, by definition, has power and ought to be able to do as he pleases. But here, on the cross, power is understood in a different way. If Jesus had concentrated on saving himself, then he would not have saved us. Here we recognize the generosity of the only Son who does not act for himself but gives his life for our benefit.

 

2. The thief recognizes his poverty and sees that Jesus truly has a Kingdom, one that is not of this world and goes beyond death. We too need to recognize our poverty and confess Jesus as our only Lord.

A king, in fact, can be distinguished by the gifts that he bestows. Jesus might appear like a failure on the cross, but he bestows the immense gift of paradise upon the thief hanging beside him. This criminal may have done bad things but he recognizes that Jesus has dominion, that he has a kingdom. How did this thief recognize in Jesus, rejected and insulted, the ruler of a kingdom that went beyond death? This is the point. In order to be saved, the crucial thing is not what we do but that we recognize that Jesus is Lord. It is not so much the good that we do but the fact that we recognize that he is the source of all good. The good thief recognizes his own poverty and that he deserves to die. He does not ask Christ to remove his suffering but to carry him to paradise. All of us are poor, all of us have made many mistakes and are in need of salvation. But he does not ask that his misery be taken away, only that he be taken to his ultimate goal, heaven. In this time of Advent, we turn our eyes to the ultimate end of everything.

 

3. The extreme misery of the cross might seem to manifest the impotence of Christ, but in fact it does the opposite. In this extreme situation, Jesus reveals himself as love, as humble obedience and submission to the Father. He reveals a Kingdom that is not of this world.

This Sunday we celebrate our King, the one who is generous and gives his life for us. We do not follow authorities who seek to dominate and manipulate us, but the One who has offered himself for us. On the cross we see the attitude of the Son of God, who empties himself for us even onto an ignominious death. The true nobility of the Son of God is manifested in the testing crucible of the cross, when all limits have been surpassed. It is in this extreme situation that the nature of the Son is revealed, the One who loves and who entrusts himself to the Father, consigning his spirit to God. Let us celebrate the only King who deserves our obedience, the only power before whom we should bow. Let us not bow to others who seek to exploit us. Let us bow to the one who loves us to the end, the only Lord who is capable of bestowing salvation.

 

Alternative homily

For the Feast of Christ the King, the Church presents us with the account of Jesus hanging on the cross. This prompts us to ask: what kind of king can this be, nailed to a piece of wood? The people in the Gospel scene are asking the same question in different ways! First of all the religious leaders demand that he save himself. Religion seeks a Messiah, seeks salvation, but the kind of salvation they are looking for here is an earthly kind of salvation: health, wellbeing, worldly success. Then the soldiers assail Jesus. They are looking for a king with political power. They want him to show his power by coming down off the cross. Then the “bad” thief begins to insult Jesus. He wants a Christ who will bring an end to his suffering. He represents all of suffering humanity who cannot understand the absence of God and cries out for assistance here and now. It is essential to note that Jesus does not reply to any of these. Finally the “good” thief turns to Jesus. He admits his guilt and acknowledges Jesus as a king, asking to be remembered when the Lord would come into his kingdom. Unlike all the others, he does not ask to be taken down off the cross! Now, finally, Jesus replies! “This day you will be with me in Paradise”. The good thief entered into a relationship with Jesus. So long as we are with Jesus we are in paradise. Now we see the power of Christ! Now we experience true salvation! We are saved when we enter into relationship with Jesus and remain with him. That is paradise.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.