Tonight at Mass the priest’s homily confirmed what I have known all along. Far from being an oddball, in fact, I’ve been right on target. 

Winter is far superior to summer. So there.

Why, you ask? How can that be, you cry? What in the world am I smoking, you screech?

The Nativity of John the Baptist

Because the Nativity of John the Baptist and the Nativity of Christ (Christmas) proves it. June 24th is the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. We celebrate the birth of the precursor, that man who occupies the highest place among men born of woman. Filled with the Holy Spirit while still in Elizabeth’s womb. Chosen at his very conception to be great and holy, with a singular mission in life: to prepare the way of the Lord.

John the Baptist gave us perhaps the single greatest lesson of living the Christian life, and he did it in one sentence: “He must increase, and I must decrease.”

So What?

What’s this got to do with summer and winter?

With the Summer Solstice last week, the days were as long as they will be. From now on, each day will slowly, gradually get shorter. The nights will slowly, gradually get longer, and the seasons will bear their final fruit of the year and then begin their long, quiet sleep.

We celebrate the birth of John the Baptist within days of the Summer Solstice.

In the depth of the long nights of winter, when the days have decreased dramatically and the darkness closes in so quickly, we celebrate the birth of the Light of the World. Into that deep, cold, quiet darkness shines the Light that the darkness will never overcome. From that night on, the days will begin to get longer. The light will increase, the darkness will decrease.

We celebrate the birth of Christ within days of the Winter Solstice. John has decreased, and Christ will increase.

So grumble all you want about winter, you crazy summer-lovers, but I’ve known it all along. Jesus likes winter better. Ha!

Okay, seriously, there’s another crucial lesson in John the Baptist’s life that is as timely as ever. Again, I thank the (young — wahoo!) priest for the reminder.

The Lesson

The lesson is: Keep the focus on Jesus. Do not stop preaching repentance and conversion. Expect resistance, and don’t be discouraged by it.

John did not preach a nice Jesus. He urged us to behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. The sins of the world. Mine and yours. 

John’s message was make straight the way of the Lord. That’s a not-subtle reference to the crookedness in us — our sins. John preached repentance and conversion. He wasn’t sending invitations to meet a swell, charismatic, friendly guy who was only desiring your thumbs-up.

He taught us that unless we become less and Christ becomes more, we’re doing it wrong. 

Some Serious Blasphemy

How often are we hearing that clear message anymore? How often are we told to become less? That in order to follow Christ, there has to be less of me? That’s some serious blasphemy to the modern creed right there. The “Me, Myself, and I” culture recoils like a vampire before a mirror at the very mention of less of me.

And what of sin and repentance? Those, too, are now becoming heterodox concepts in an era of acceptance of all things. How dare anyone suggest that this or that is sinful? Who are you to judge? Repent of what, exactly? Being an intolerant, hateful, judgmental, everything-phobic jerkface, that’s what! You go ahead!

We Must Decrease Daily

But we are, each one of us, in need of repentance and conversion. Every single day. We must decrease. Otherwise, He will not increase. If we don’t truly desire His increase in our lives, then we are in a comfy warm bath that may soon boil us alive. It means we have come to prefer our sin, whatever sin it may be, more than Christ. The only remedy is repentance. 

But we cannot repent of what we are not convinced is wrong. If we have lost our sense of sin; if our egos and our appetites will not abide even the suggestion of sin, then John’s words are meaningless for us. 

Which brings us to resistance. If the soil is too hard and too dry, nothing will penetrate, not even life-giving water. It must be tilled and tilled some more. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, with Whom we get to cooperate. Many will hear the message of repentance and conversion and reject it. That’s not our concern. It sure wasn’t John’s. He preached very plainly, Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, and he didn’t care who didn’t like it.

It cost him his head.

Well, he did say he had to decrease…