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The Lord be with you.

A reading from the Holy Gospel is written to us by Matthew.

Now John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying,

turn around the kingdom of God is already at hand. It was of him that

the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said there will be a voice of one crying in the

wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make straight his paths. Now John wore clothing made of camel's hair, he had a

leather belt around his waist. His food was locus and wild honey.

At that time, Jerusalem, all Judea,

and the whole region around the Jordan

were going out to hear him and they were being

baptized by him in the Jordan River where they acknowledged their sinfulness.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sages coming to his baptism,

he said to them, you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the coming wrath.

Not a very nice guy.

Produced good fruit as evidence of your repentance and do not presume to say to yourselves

we have Abraham as our father. I tell you God can raise up children to Abraham from these very stones. Even now

the axe lies at the root of the tree.

Therefore every tree that does not bear fruit

will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I am baptizing you with water for a change of heart,

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