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Today's first reading looks forward to a future ideal king, a descendant of King David, son of Jesse. Gifts of wisdom, understanding and counsel will be given to him and he will administer justice in favour of the weak and lowly. Perfect justice leads to perfect peace depicted here as a return to paradise. Sometimes this state is described as the kingdom of heaven.

St Paul prays that we may all be united in giving glory to God. He reminds us that God's promises are for everyone so that all people can give praise Him.

Like Jesus, John preached that the kingdom was imminent and so his hearers should repent and turn back to God. He describes repentance as "making straight the paths", a phrase used by the prophet Isaiah when the people of Israel were in exile in a foreign land looking forward to their homecoming. John practised baptism as a purification for sins and announced that the one who was to follow him would bring a new kind of baptism - of the Holy Spirit and fire.

This week you might like to take a few minutes out of the practical preparations for Christmas and reflect on your life.

You could ask yourself the question, "How can I 'prepare a way for the Lord and make straight his paths'?

Is there anything I need to repent of to make myself ready for Jesus' coming this Christmas?"