Mass for Life 2026

Published: January 18, 2026

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor delivered the following homily Jan. 18, 2026.

Bishop Taylor

John the Baptist is one of the most interesting people in the entire New Testament, and he appears eight times in the Gospels read during December and January. 

The story of his birth is intertwined with that of Jesus: both conceived under extraordinary circumstances — one mother a virgin, the other elderly — meaning that God had already chosen each of them for a special role in his plan of salvation. 

They were relatives on their mothers’ side but raised so far apart from each other — Jesus in Galilee, John in Judea — that when they first met as adults they weren’t aware that they were relatives. In today’s Gospel, John says: I did not know him and Jesus — who already knew about John’s ministry — never says anything about them being family. I find that very surprising, given the great importance of the extended family in that culture, plus all the work John did to pave the way for Jesus’ ministry. 

Today’s Gospel contains a good summary of John’s role: 1) to prepare the way for the Messiah, 2) give witness to him when he comes, and then 3) step aside in favor of him. And how did John the Baptist fulfill his role?

First, he called people to repentance as we do on this Respect Life Sunday. He did what he could to address the evils of his day — that’s what cost him his head! He tried to get people to reform their lives, just as we do today.

Second, John gave witness to Jesus once he learned he was the Messiah, having heard the voice from heaven declare him to be the Son of God and seen the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove: the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world — even the sins of our society 2,000 years later.

And then he withdrew, declaring that since Jesus has precedence over him, Jesus must increase while he decreases. John was the Voice in the wilderness, but Jesus was the Word, the content proclaimed by that voice — the Word of Salvation, the Word of God…in the beginning was the Word, all things were created by the Word, and the Word was God — John was the voice that would soon be silenced, but Jesus the Word will live forever.

You and I are called to prepare the way for Jesus today, to give witness to him and then, like John, to let him increase while we decrease. The reign of God proclaimed by John has already been inaugurated by Jesus but will only be fully present at the end of time. John’s role was to prepare for Jesus’ First Coming, ours is to prepare for his Second Coming. Meaning that we too must address the evils of our day — not turn a blind eye to them with a live and let live attitude. 

And like John, we must do so humbly, not for our own glory but rather for the greater glory of God.