Saturday in Epiphany Octave

January 10,2004

by Rev. Herbert Nichols

Recent scholarship has challenged the idea that Christianity simply adapted the pagan feast of the winter solstice for the birth of Jesus the light of the world. It is quite possible that the date of December 25 pre-dated the Constantine’s conversion of the Empire.

In any case nearly two weeks have passed since Christmas and the amount of daylight gradually increases each day. By contrast the birth of John the Baptist which scripture says was six months earlier is celebrated on June 24 near to the summer solstice and the shortening of daylight each day.

We have in the gospel today a rather unusual scene in which Jesus and John are both baptizing and calling people to repentance. The purpose of the prophet is waning. He has announced and presented the Messiah. He is soon to disappear.

John’s focus on Jesus proclaiming: "He must increase while I must decrease," should be the theme of every Christian. Most people consider ambition a natural incentive. To want to be the first or the best is viewed as normal and surely the only way to get ahead in the world.

But John the Baptist shows us a value which is just the opposite. His only ambition was to get out of the way so that Jesus could become first in the hearts of his own disciples. John wanted people to see that following Jesus, rather than himself, was the most precious opportunity for them.

John indicates to us that we must focus on the light.

When we do good for others, we should do so with the intention that they will see the goodness of Christ within us. When people praise us, we should politely let them know that any talent we may have is a gift from God to whom the credit is due.

John the Baptist with his unusual kind of ambition is certainly a breath of fresh air that our world needs to breathe and live.

Tomorrow’s celebration marks the end of the Christmas season; and a return to "ordinary time" If we have resolved during these past few days to be a witness and to bring even one person closer to Christ, then we need to fortify that resolution by strengthening our daily prayer routine, reading and studying the Holy Scriptures alone or in a group, then we will effectively say: I must decrease so that Jesus may increase.