Feria IV infra Hebdomadam II Adventus ~ III. classis
Commemoratio: S. Melchiadis Papæ et Martyris
In the quiet expectancy of the second week of Advent, Holy Mother Church presents to us today a rich pairing of texts — Romans 15:4–13 and Matthew 11:2–10 — as we journey through Feria IV of this sacred season. The liturgy speaks with ever-growing urgency of the coming of the Redeemer, while still cloaked in the somber violet of penitence and hope. And today, we are given a double grace: the exhortation of St. Paul to unity and hope in Christ, the Root of Jesse, and the gentle rebuke of Our Lord to those who would misunderstand the mission of His forerunner, St. John the Baptist.
We also honor today Pope St. Melchiades, a martyr and pontiff who lived in the turbulent transition from persecution to the first Christian emperor, and whose fidelity unto death reminds us that the Kingdom Christ inaugurates comes through the Cross, not earthly conquest.
Let us, then, meditate on these readings in the light of Tradition, guided by the voices of the Fathers.
“That we through patience and the comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)
St. Paul writes to the Romans with an apostolic heart that longs to see the Jewish and Gentile believers reconciled in Christ. He exhorts them to bear one another’s burdens, reminding them that the Scriptures — the very same that we too hear and ponder during Advent — are written for our instruction, that “we might have hope.”
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this passage, speaks of the twofold gift of Sacred Scripture: “It teaches, and it consoles. For what was written aforetime was not for the Jews alone, but for us also, that we may learn patience through their history, and be comforted by their promises.”
The Apostle then draws from Isaiah, reminding us of the prophecy of the Root of Jesse, who shall rise to rule the Gentiles. This is not the rule of worldly domination, but the kingship of the Crucified. And the fruit of His reign? Joy, peace, and unity. As St. Augustine notes: “He who is the root gives rise to the tree of the cross, whose branches reach the ends of the earth, and whose fruit is the salvation of the nations.”
It is significant that Paul ends this section with a blessing: “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Ghost.” In this season where darkness presses in and hearts grow heavy with longing, the Church reminds us that our hope is not vague optimism but a theological virtue infused by the Holy Spirit.
“Art thou he that art to come, or do we look for another?” (Matt 11:3)
The Gospel today draws us to that moment of holy suspense: John the Baptist, now imprisoned, sends his disciples to Jesus with a question. “Art thou He that is to come?” This question, as interpreted by the Fathers, is not born of doubt in John, but of pedagogical purpose — that his disciples might be led to Christ.
St. Jerome, with his characteristic insight, explains: “John does not ask in ignorance, but to direct his disciples to Jesus, that they might behold His works and hear His words, and so be led to faith.”
Our Lord answers not with a simple affirmation but by pointing to the signs foretold by the prophets: “The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” These are not merely miracles; they are messianic signs. Each one fulfills the ancient prophecies (cf. Isaiah 35, 61), and in doing so, Jesus proclaims without saying it outright: I am He.
He then turns to the crowd and gives one of the highest praises ever spoken by divine lips: “Among those born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” And yet, as He says mysteriously, “the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” This paradox, as St. Gregory the Great explains, refers not to the personal sanctity of John, but to the difference in covenants. John stands at the threshold, the last prophet of the old order, but he dies before the Paschal mystery. The baptized — even the least — partake in the full revelation of the Cross and Resurrection.
Advent Themes and the Witness of St. Melchiades
In both readings, we see the convergence of waiting and witnessing.
St. Paul urges hope grounded in Scripture; Our Lord confirms the fulfillment of those Scriptures in Himself. The Baptist waits in prison, but points unerringly to the Light. And the faithful are invited to recognize the modus operandi of God: not in spectacle, but in healing; not in thundering judgment, but in mercy quietly shown to the poor and broken.
Pope St. Melchiades, commemorated today, lived this reality. He shepherded the Church through the final throes of Roman persecution into the uneasy dawn of imperial favor under Constantine. Though he is listed among the martyrs, some debate whether he died a violent death. Nevertheless, as St. Augustine remarks in De Civitate Dei, the confessors who suffered loss, danger, and rejection for Christ, even without shedding blood, share in the crown of martyrdom.
His feast within the Advent season is fitting: a bishop who suffered for Christ, who awaited peace while clinging to the promise, whose very name — Melchiades — recalls melech, Hebrew for king. A shepherd who awaited the true King.
Conclusion: Advent’s Patient Joy
This Wednesday in the second week of Advent, the Church calls us to hope that is patient, faith that recognizes, and joy that endures. Like the disciples of John, we are invited to come and see. Like the Gentiles of Rome, we are called to be grafted into the olive tree of Israel, rejoicing in Christ the King, the Root of Jesse.
Let us take up anew the words of the Apostle:
“Rejoice, O ye Gentiles, with his people… Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles: and magnify him, all ye people.” (Rom 15:10-11)
And as the Introit of this feria echoes from Psalm 104:
“Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened: seek his face evermore.”
Through the intercession of St. John the Baptist and St. Melchiades, may we persevere in our Advent watchfulness, and be found ready when the Lord comes.