Second Sunday of Advent 2025

Published: December 22, 2025

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor preached the following homily Dec. 7, 2025.

Bishop Taylor

Have you ever been really good and lost? I was about 25 years ago on the last day of a vacation at Lake Tahoe. 

A 76-year-old priest of the Tulsa Diocese named Father Pickett and I planned a leisurely four-mile hike to Watson Lake in the Sierra Nevadas, but I couldn't find the trailhead, so we got on what we thought was the Tahoe Rim Trail, knowing it would eventually lead to the Watson Lake Trail. Five hours and 11 miles later, we were exhausted, headed nowhere on something called the Tevis Equestrian Trail, and Father Pickett needed his medicine. 

It was 3 p.m., soon it would be getting dark and cold, and we were wearing shorts because it had started out as a warm day. Luckily, I was able to find a place where I could get a signal on my cell phone, and I called 911. They patched me in to the mountain rescue squad, who said we were still five miles from the nearest dirt road — if we stayed on the right path in the dark (which up to then we hadn't managed to do even in daylight). 

So they sent a helicopter to rescue us. In so doing, they turned what could have been a disaster into the high point of our trip. In addition to a bird's-eye view of incredible scenery, we got to experience the kindness and impressive piloting skills of three members of the Placer County search and rescue team, who just kept saying: "That's what we're here for," "Glad we could help" and "We're just happy everyone's OK." 

They plucked us from a long, winding trail to nowhere and took us on a straight path across the sky to the Truckee, Calif., airport.

In our Gospel, we get a glimpse of the impressive piloting skills of John the Baptist as he prepares a straight path across the desert for Jesus, whom God was sending to rescue us who — spiritually speaking — had managed to get ourselves really good and lost on a long, winding trail to nowhere. And the way John prepares the way for Jesus is to get us to repent of our sins. 

He makes straight the Lord's path by getting us to make straight our paths. He warns us to get out of spiritual danger now before it gets dark and begin to produce good fruit now while there's still time because one is coming who will judge us according to the path we are on and the fruit we do or do not produce. 

He says: Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire...[God] will gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. By making straight our own paths this Advent, we at the same time make straight the path of the Lord, whose kingdom is at hand. He is coming to rescue those who are good and lost and know it, but we must still respond if we want to be saved.

Years ago, Pope Francis issued a very important document: Evangelii Gaudium, "The Joy of the Gospel." This is an apostolic exhortation, one of the most authoritative categories of papal documents, and so a very big deal. In Evangelii Gaudium we get a glimpse of the impressive piloting skills of Pope Francis — and by extension, Pope Leo.

Jesus is using them to prepare a straight path in a world that is full of people and countries like our own who have managed to get themselves really good and lost on a long, winding trail to nowhere. People have all kinds of needs, but often our greatest need is simply to have a life-changing experience of God's love and mercy, out of which we can then reset the whole direction of our life. 

Jesus wants to use people like you and me to help them do this, which is why Popes John Paul, Benedict, Francis and now Leo say that Jesus wants us to be "missionary disciples," eager to bring the the good news of salvation, especially to those who are farthest from the Lord and who need him the most. 

To do so, we need to get to know Jesus personally ourselves, and be on the right path ourselves. Advent is a time to make straight path of the Lord: in our own lives first and then in the lives of others who so much need the love that the Lord offers them — through us.