“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30, NRSV

I was a new preacher then, and it was one of the first talks I gave that was cohesive and connected well with people.

I loved the affirmations I got as I went down the stage. They stroked my ego and gave my self-worth a boost. After a while, I realized I was preaching for the praise rather than from a pure motive.

I was ashamed because I was so far from being like St. John the Baptist, who never took any glory for himself. In today’s Gospel reading, he attributed everything to the real Messiah, Jesus.

Are you like me who was tempted to attribute achievements and talents to myself instead of God? Ask St. John the Baptist to help you overcome these temptations. Let his humility help you decrease pride and self-reliance, so that Jesus can increase in your life and fulfill you. JPaul Hernandez (jpaulmh@yahoo.com)

reflect

In what areas of your life do you rely on yourself too much instead of God?

St. John the Baptist, pray that I decrease so that Jesus can increase in my life. Amen.

Blessed William Carter, pray for us.

There are different degrees of sin. For example, a white lie is of a different magnitude compared to murder. However, we should still abolish the lesser sins in our lives. There is no compromise when it comes to sin. Let us get rid of sin as this is the best response to God's love for us.

¹⁴ Beloved: We have this confidence in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. ¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly. ¹⁸ We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the evil one cannot touch him. ¹⁹ We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the evil one. ²⁰ We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. ²¹ Children, be on your guard against idols.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 149:1-2, 3-4, 5, 6, 9

R: The Lord takes delight in his people.

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. ² Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. (R) ³ Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. ⁴ For the Lord loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. (R) ⁵ Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; ⁶ Let the high praises of God be in their throats. ⁹ This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia. (R)

Gospel | John 3:22-30

John the Baptist knows he is not the Christ. Today, there are people claiming to be the Son of God, and they are lying. Let us avoid having visions of grandeur and just focus on discovering and obeying God’s will. This way, we fulfill the work of the Gospel and get closer to the day of glory when Christ will come again.

Gospel Acclamation

The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death, light has arisen.

²² Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. ²³ John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, ²⁴ for John had not yet been imprisoned. ²⁵ Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings. ²⁶ So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” ²⁷ John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. ²⁹ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. ³⁰ He must increase; I must decrease.”

Read the Bible in one year! Read JOHN 17 - 21 today.

In today’s First Reading, John speaks of praying for a brother who has committed a wrongdoing, a fault he described as a sin that “does not lead to death” and a more serious fault he described as a sin “that leads to death” (see v. 16).

The Catechism calls the sin that does not lead to death as venial sin—a fault that is light, easy to forgive, or pardonable. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law . . . but without full knowledge or without complete consent” (CCC 1862).

The Catechism describes mortal sin as resulting “in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of hell . . .” (CCC 1861).

There are two ways of looking at sin, and our relationship with others and with God: the legal and the relational. The legal view often leads to a cavalier attitude, to minimalism. It says, “I can afford to commit venial sin; after all, it is pardonable and light.” The Catechism cautions us against this. Quoting Saint Augustine, it warns: “If you take them for light when you weigh them, tremble when you count them. . . . What then is our hope? Above all, confession” (CCC 1862).

The relational view is the attitude of one who truly loves. It does not ask, “How long can I transgress until I won’t be forgiven anymore?” Rather, it aims, “How much more can I love so I won’t hurt the other?” The legal is the attitude of a user. The relational is the attitude of a lover. Fr. Joel Jason

reflection question

How would you describe your stance before God and your neighbor—legal or relational?

From the tendency to be minimalistic in my dealings with others and with You, deliver me, O Lord. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ___________________________________