Vatican City, Dec 4, 2016 / 07:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The proclamation of John the Baptist to “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” is a joyful one that calls us to conversion, Pope Francis said today in his Angelus address on the second Sunday of Advent.

Referring to the Gospel reading for the day from Matthew 3:1-12, the Pope noted that the proclamation of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, is also repeated several times by Jesus himself throughout the Gospel of Matthew.