He Must Increase, I Must Decrease | St. John the Baptist

Why would God allow St. John the Baptist, the Forerunner of Christ, to suffer such a violent death?

This homily reflects on the martyrdom of St. John and the life that prepared him to face it.

John lived in the truth. His preaching exposed sin, called people to repentance, and prepared the way for Jesus Christ. Those who desired conversion responded to his message—but those who rejected repentance tried to silence the man who awakened their consciences.

Yet prison did not change St. John.

Whether he stood beside the Jordan preaching repentance or sat alone in a dark cell, his interior disposition remained the same: he remained with God.

The sermon explains St. John’s ascetic life—not as an attempt to earn God’s grace, but as spiritual training. Through prayer, fasting, simplicity, and self-denial, he fought the passions that could divide his heart from God.

His mission can be summarized in one sentence:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

That same purification is asked of us.

If we want Christ to increase in our lives, we must remove what scatters our hearts, repent sincerely, simplify our lives, pray, fast, and learn to remain with God even in suffering.

St. John’s death was not defeat. It became a crown of victory and the beginning of a greater life with Christ.

St. John the Baptist, intercede for us.

00:00 Glory to Jesus Christ
00:10 Why Did God Allow St. John to Die?
00:25 The Last of the Old Testament Prophets
00:34 St. John Lived in Truth
00:42 His Preaching Exposed Sin
00:55 The Baptism of Repentance
01:02 Those Who Rejected His Call
01:19 St. John Is Imprisoned
01:33 He Remained With Christ
01:42 What Asceticism Really Means
01:57 Can We Earn God’s Grace?
02:16 Conquering the Passions
02:32 Prayer, Fasting & Simplicity
02:45 Remaining Present With God
02:52 From the Jordan to the Prison Cell
03:05 He Remained
03:07 Death Becomes a Crown of Victory
03:21 Repent and Live in the Truth
03:30 Remove What Divides the Heart
03:46 “He Must Increase, I Must Decrease”
03:59 Our Own Purification
04:19 Simplicity, Fasting & Prayer
04:28 Remaining With God in Trials
04:37 Battling the Evil of Our Age
04:48 Be Present During the Liturgy
04:55 Ask St. John’s Intercession
05:18 Sponsor Message
05:26 Sensus Fidelium App

For more please visit https://lifegivingspringspodcast.podbean.com/ & remember to say 3 Hail Marys for the priest.

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