Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his reflection on the Gospel of this Sunday, December 7, 2025, entitled: “Come, Lord, king of justice and peace.”

***

Isaiah 11:1-10: “The wolf will dwell with the lamb”

Psalm 71: “Come, Lord, King of justice and peace”

Romans 15:4-9: “May God grant you to live in perfect harmony with one another”

Matthew 3:1-12: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”

There are dreams that move wills and create new situations; there are dreams that transform realities and express the deepest longings of the heart. The dream of a world in peace and harmony will always be humanity’s greatest desire, because it stems from our fundamental need to be like a God who is harmony and unity. Today, the prophet Isaiah challenges us to seek the most ambitious of dreams and paints a marvelous picture of the most incredible scene. Domestic animals, weak and defenseless, coexist peacefully with the most ferocious and bloodthirsty beasts. The lamb does not fear to dwell beside the wolf, the kid lies down beside the panther, and the calf and the lion eat from the same “plate.” “Too good to be true. You’re dreaming,” all the skeptics will accuse. However, Isaiah presents it as the purest reality because when we trust in the Word of the Lord, we have the right to dream.

The dream Isaiah offers us is not a slumber nor an escape from reality; it is looking at the future with God’s eyes and knowing that with His strength and our commitment, everything is possible. This bucolic scene Isaiah presents has its prerequisites, and although it is a gift, it doesn’t simply fall from the sky. The fundamental requirement for finding true peace lies in justice and faithfulness. It is not the pacification maintained by the powerful who seek to subdue and silence the weak so as not to hear their cries of pain. It is not the indifference that allows the wicked to kill mercilessly and commit the worst atrocities. It is not the fear that paralyzes us or drives us to do irrational things. It is faith and trust in the strength of “He whom we know has the power” and walks with us.

Although based on the strength and security God grants us, the peace and harmony Isaiah dreams of spring not from the tall, majestic cedars of Lebanon, but from the old, forgotten trunk of Jesse, which seemed dead. They spring from the inner life he carries within, even though it appeared dry. The new man, though it may seem impossible, carries within him the sap of the Spirit and may offer unexpected renewal, but he will have to be grounded in that new Spirit that gives him hope. A new way of living is possible, based not on appearances or words, but founded on justice and equity. This “Branch” is the Messiah who comes to awaken the hidden and almost vanished fibers of humanity to create a new civilization. This little one, the promise of Advent, compared to a weak shoot, awakens new hopes in humanity touched by sin, but always called to build a new world.

Saint Paul reminds the Romans that the Word of God invites us to dream and keeps us awake to fight for that dream: “Through the Scriptures, let us hold fast to hope.” And he offers us very practical signs that help us overcome the wave of violence and injustice that is tearing our communities apart. It is not possible to live in division and revenge; therefore, he tells us that God is the source of all comfort and that He can grant us to live in harmony with one heart and one voice.

When John the Baptist receives this promise of a new world, he begins his proclamation in the desert, awakening the curiosity of all the men and women who had not lost hope of making that dream a reality. But the Baptist is very clear, and from his imposing presence, he is already calling for a new attitude. We must change our hearts to overcome violence and evil. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Conversion, metanoia, is not a simple external and superficial change; it is not enough to look at what we are doing wrong. True conversion requires a radical, total change that affects our entire being and every dimension of our existence. It is placing our whole life and our relationships before God and acting before Him, who offers us the dream of harmony but also demands a true conversion from us. It is turning to God to act in truth, justice, and love. We are not condemned to a chaos of injustice and perversity, but we must radically change our choices and our inner selves.

Today, the entire liturgy invites us to dream of another possible world, but it is necessary to follow the steps of the Spirit and allow ourselves to be filled with His breath. We must begin from the beginning, from the deepest and most authentic part of humanity, however small and forgotten it may seem. We must rediscover the essential relationship with God that gives meaning to life. That voice that urges us to prepare the way of the Lord begins by reminding us that we are children of the same Father. It leads us to look with pride at our origin and thus act accordingly in our relationships with others, for they are our brothers and sisters. Only in brotherhood, which embraces difference, can we rediscover the foundation for harmony. Today, alongside the clarity of a dream, there appears the voice that urgently asks us to level, straighten, and equalize, so that the kingdom of God may draw near and so that we may all see God’s salvation. What are my Advent dreams? Do I believe that harmony and justice are possible among us? Am I ready for true conversion?

Lord, who always inspires hope in humankind with your love, help us to discover our roots that lead us to you, so that in harmony and justice we may build a new community, in expectation of your son Jesus. Amen