Daily Catholic Lectio. Sun, 7 December ’25. A Change of Nature

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sun, 7 December ‘25

Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 11:1–10. Romans 15:4–9. Matthew 3:1–12

A Change of Nature

Let us begin with a short fable from Aesop. A frog and a scorpion lived by the same riverbank and became friends. One day, the scorpion asked the frog to carry him across the river. The frog hesitated, fearing the scorpion might sting him, but the scorpion promised, “I would never harm you; if I did, we’d both drown.” Trusting his words, the frog agreed. Halfway across, the scorpion stung him. As they both began to sink, the frog gasped, “Why did you do that?” The scorpion replied, “I’m sorry, my friend — I couldn’t help it. It’s my nature to sting.” Both perished in the water.

The story reminds us that a change of nature may be impossible for the scorpion — but for us humans, it is possible. That is precisely the message of today’s liturgy: that through God’s Spirit, our nature can be renewed and transformed.

1. Isaiah’s Vision: The Renewal of Creation

In the first reading (Isaiah 11:1–10), the prophet speaks of three kinds of transformation — three “changes of nature.” 

(a) From a stump to a shoot. Isaiah says, “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse.” The dynasty of David looked dead, cut off like a tree stump. Even when everything looks lifeless, God can make life grow again. 

(b) From anointing by oil to anointing by the Spirit. In the Old Testament, kings, prophets, and priests were anointed with oil. But Isaiah prophesies a new kind of anointing — not with oil, but with the Spirit of the Lord. 

(c) From violence to harmony. Isaiah then paints a poetic vision: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the lion shall eat straw like the ox.” Natural enemies will live in peace. 

Isaiah concludes, “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain.” When our hearts change, our world changes. When nature is healed, creation sings again.

2. Paul’s Call: Change of Mindset

In the second reading (Romans 15:4–9), Paul moves from personal change to communal transformation. If John calls us to change our selves, Paul calls us to change our mindsets.

The Christian community in Rome was divided — between Jews who clung to the Law and Gentiles who were new to faith. Paul urges them to let go of pride and prejudice, and to “live in harmony with one another, so that together you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul teaches that true conversion always leads to unity in the Spirit. The Spirit transforms our way of thinking — from competition to cooperation, from suspicion to trust, from exclusion to embrace.

He reminds us that Christ came not for one group but for all. In Jesus, every barrier is broken; every distance is bridged. Our faith must therefore move from “I” to “we,” from private piety to shared mission.

To change our mindset means to see others through the eyes of Christ — to accept differences as gifts, to forgive as we have been forgiven, and to live not for ourselves but for the good of all.

3. John’s Call: Change of Self

John appears in the wilderness, clothed in camel hair and fed by locusts and wild honey — a man whose very life is a message of simplicity and detachment. His voice rings through the desert: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

The Greek word metanoia means not just sorrow for sin, but a radical turning around — a transformation of the self. Repentance is not a feeling; it is a decision to walk a new path. John warns, “Produce fruit worthy of repentance.” True repentance bears visible results in our lives — honesty, justice, mercy, and compassion.

John challenges the proud religious leaders who relied on their ancestry: “Do not say, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’” Faith cannot be inherited; it must be chosen daily. Pride must give way to humility, and self-centeredness to service.

John’s baptism in water symbolized cleansing; but he foretells One who will baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” This fire purifies, renews, and gives us new life in Christ. Through this, our very nature can be changed — from sin to grace, from hardness to tenderness, from self to God.

Peace rests in a changed self: The second candle that we light today brings to us peace, which is the fruit of our self and communal transformation.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy