Moving Over for Christ to Reign

In today’s Gospel, John proclaims Jesus’ identity.  When John saw Jesus coming toward him, he said to the people gathered around:  “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me….I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

In John 3:30, St. John says:   “He must increase but I must decrease.”  Many of those who were following John left him and became disciples of Jesus.  How do I react when another person’s ministry is growing and mine is shrinking? When other people bring forth ideas that grab others’ attention, am I eager to support  those ideas or do I become jealous? What do I do when another person is chosen over me, when another is recognized for his/her work and I am left standing in the background?  Am I willing to let go when younger entrepreneurs, younger disciples of Christ;  a son/daughter, if I am a parent, takes over my role in the company; a  newer member of my religious community takes my place in ministry and I am left to  take a back seat, so to speak?  Letting go and relinquishing my place, welcoming other’s into a position I once held, seeing others succeed and being in the spotlight that I once “possessed” can be very difficult.  Like St. John, you and I are called to point people toward Jesus, the Son of God made flesh, the Savior of the world.  We are called to build up the Kingdom of God by getting out of God’s way, so to speak.  How well do I do that in order that the work I do, in Jesus’ name, bears fruit that will last?