Homily for January 11, 2020

Today’s passage from John’s Gospel sums up in two phrases the honor given Jesus by John the Baptist when he says “He (Jesus) must increase; I must decrease.” This is the spirit required by his God-given role as the forerunner to the Messiah. John showed genuine deference, of knowing his place in the order of things. He did not seek celebrity, nor did he seek to be the focus of attention.

John’s Gospel credits John the Baptist with a spirit of honesty. While many were prepared to admire him as the awaited Messiah, he stubbornly refused to claim that honor for himself. He called himself the signpost pointing to Jesus, the Voice in the Desert preparing the way of the LORD. He was to Christ as the best-man is to the bridegroom, the reliable, supportive friend.

John the Baptist offers us a challenging role-model: how to become a forerunner, a herald, for Jesus in our own lives. All of us are called to help others to find the way of the LORD, worship Him and to partake of the special gift He has brought to our lives. Like John the Baptist and the many saints who came after him, we can and should make Jesus the center of our motivation: “He must increase; I must decrease.” +