He must increase; I must decrease.

Today is the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. John, in the womb of his mother Elizabeth, recognized Jesus, in the womb of Mary. John was filled with the Holy Spirit! John came to prepare the way for the Lord. He knew his mission. He was a prophet of hope and a voice in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance. John always pointed the way to the Lord. John came to serve and to do the Will of the Father. After Jesus came to John to be baptized, John said, "He must increase; I must decrease."

John 3:16-30
For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings. 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." John answered and said, "No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. 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. He must increase; I must decrease."

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us and all these little ones for whom we pray.