SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY 6TH JANUARY 2024

SERMON/HOMILY FOR SATURDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY 6TH JANUARY 2024

1John 5:5-13; Ps.147; Mark 1:7-11

Greatness and Humility!

In the gospel reading of today, John first spoke about Jesus to the people using the word “mightier”. From this word, we can understand some background to John’s talk about Jesus. The people were beginning to see and acknowledge the greatness of John. For them, John suited well into the image of the Messiah they were expecting. Since John’s father was a high Priest, it would make sense that the messiah was born of a high priest. So, greatness characterized John both from his ancestry and his unique mission.

John did not deny the greatness that was associated with him. To say that Jesus is mightier than himself, is to invariably accept that he (John) is mighty; only that Jesus is mightier. John acceptance of his own greatness does not make him proud or arrogant. See, humility is not seeing or talking less about yourself. Humility starts with acknowledging what you have but seeing them as gifts from God. If we consider our possessions as gifts from God, we will also recognize the greatness of God over us. The giver of gifts is always greater than the recipient.

From John, we learn how well to be humble. In humility, we must accept the greatness in each one of us. In the first reading, John tells us that he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, overcomes the world. The greatness we must rejoice in is not one of material possession, academic qualification, social standing, but one of true association with Jesus and the affairs of His kingdom.

When we allow God to work through us in the exercise of our gifts, people will see and praise the greatness in us. But we must be careful to remain humble by reminding those who cheer us that God is the greatest. We must further use our greatness to evangelize by telling the world that it can be great too if it acknowledges Jesus as the Christ. In humility, let your greatness be contagious!