Pope at Angelus: Advent Calls Us to Prepare for the Just Judge

Vatican City, December 8, 2025: Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to prepare for the coming of God’s Kingdom during the noon-day Angelus on Sunday, as the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square to mark the Second Sunday of Advent. Reflecting on the day’s Gospel, he invited believers to encounter Jesus, “the just Judge”, with hearts ready for renewal.

The Pope recalled John the Baptist’s proclamation in the desert of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” He noted that Christians echo this message daily when praying the Our Father and asking, “Thy kingdom come.”

By praying these words, he said, believers invite God’s reign into the world and acknowledge that history is not determined by earthly powers. He encouraged the faithful to direct their thoughts and energies towards God, who “came not to reign over us but to free us”. The Pope described this as the true Gospel—“the good news that motivates and draws us in.”

Pope Leo acknowledged that John the Baptist’s preaching was severe, yet he said it challenges people to take life seriously and prepare for the moment when Christ judges “not by appearance, but by our deeds and the intentions of our hearts.”

He reflected on Jesus’ first coming, saying Christ arrived in meekness and mercy, surprising John. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, the Pope likened Jesus to a sprout emerging from a seemingly dead tree trunk, bringing not destruction but rebirth and renewal.

Pope Leo linked this renewal to the Second Vatican Council, which concluded sixty years ago. He said the Church continues to experience its spirit whenever believers journey towards the Kingdom of God “together with all those who eagerly welcome and serve it.”

He assured the faithful that God’s Kingdom will bring fulfilment even to what appears weak or insignificant. “The world greatly needs this hope,” he said. “Nothing is impossible for God. Let us prepare ourselves for His Kingdom; let us welcome it.”

In closing, Pope Leo invited Christians to embrace Advent’s spirituality, calling it “very luminous and concrete.” He emphasised that small acts of openness can help transform the world. “The streetlights remind us that each of us can be a little light if we welcome Jesus, the shoot of a new world.”

Pope at Angelus: Advent Calls Us to Prepare for the Just Judge

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