“He must increase, and I must decrease,”

John the Baptist played his role to perfection.

John the Baptist humbly states that Jesus must become greater while he becomes less.

This teaches us the importance of humility, recognizing that Jesus is the center of our faith.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

1 John 5:14-21

Through him we are fully confident

That whatever we ask, according to his will, he will grant us. If we know that he hears us whenever we ask, we know that we already have what we asked of him.

If you see your brother committing sin, a sin which does not lead to death, pray for him, and God will give life to your brother.

I speak, of course, of the sin which does not lead to death. There is also a sin that leads to death; I do not speak of praying about this. Every kind of wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin leads to death.

 

We know that those born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God, protects them, and the evil one does not touch them. We know that we belong to God, while the whole world lies in evil.

We know that the Son of God has come and has given us power to know the truth. We are in him who is true, his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God, and eternal life.

My dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

 

Ps 149:1-2, 3-4, 5, 6a & 9b The Lord takes delight in his people.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊       Gospel: John 3:22-30

After this, Jesus went into the territory of Judea with his disciples.

He stayed there with them and baptized. John was also baptizing in Aenon,

near Salim, where water was plentiful; people came to him and were baptized.

This happened before John was put in prison.

Now John's disciples had been questioned by a Jew about spiritual cleansing,

so they came to John and said, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan,

and about whom you spoke favorably, is now baptizing, and all are going to him."

 

John answered, "No one can receive anything, except what has been given to him from heaven.

You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.

Only the bridegroom has the bride; but the friend of the bridegroom stands by and listens,

and rejoices to hear the bridegroom's voice. My joy is now full. It is necessary that he increase, but that I decrease.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"He must increase... I must decrease."

The 16th century Spanish mystic John of Avila had begun founding an order for the renewal of religious life and priesthood.

It was very similar to that which Saint Ignatius of Loyola had in mind at much the same time. However,

when John's health started to fail, he encouraged the first few members to join Ignatius so that the latter's order might flourish,

rather than doggedly defending his own plans, to the detriment of both groups. In his letters,

drawing on the words of Saint John the Baptist, John of Avila simply said of Ignatius that "he must increase... I must decrease."

 

Both Saint John the Baptist and Saint John of Avila offer us examples of humility

in the face of the temptation to fight to keep the focus on ourselves and on our own plans and activities,

even when someone else's are better. May we have the humility to see that we all have a part to play in God's plan,

and to rejoice and not be envious when other people's talents flourish to the glory of God and the service of his people.