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Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
1 Corinthians 1:26–31
Abraham was old.
Moses was a fugitive.
David was a boy.
Mary was unknown.
The apostles were fishermen.
And yet, God chose them.
This is one of the great patterns of Scripture:
God does not choose as the world chooses.
The world looks for power, status, education, wealth, beauty, influence, and success.
God looks deeper.
Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth:
Not many of you were wise by human standards.
Not many were powerful.
Not many were of noble birth.
The Church in Corinth was not built on social prestige.
It was built on God’s call.
In the ancient world, people were divided by birth, class, citizenship, wealth, and power.
Some lives counted more. Some voices mattered more. Some bodies were protected. Others could be used, sold, or crucified.
But in Christ, a new dignity appeared.
Slave and free, Jew and Greek, men and women, all became brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Baptism gave them a new identity.
Not above others, but with others.
We live in a world that teaches us to measure ourselves constantly.
Who is more successful? Who is more beautiful? Who is more educated? Who has more money? Who has more followers? Who is more visible?
Slowly, people begin to believe that their value depends on being noticed.
But Paul says something different.
Your dignity does not begin with your status.
Your worth does not depend on your success.
Your identity is not built on comparison.
It is received in Christ.
That is why Paul says:
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.
Jeremiah had said something similar:
Do not boast in wisdom, strength, or riches.
Boast in this:
that you know the Lord, the Lord who practices mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth.
Saint John the Baptist understood this.
He had disciples. He had a voice. He had influence.
But when Christ came, he said:
He must increase; I must decrease.
And because he loved truth more than safety, he gave his life.
Today, Paul and John the Baptist ask us one simple question:
What are you building your worth on?
Success? Image? Your group? Your gifts? Other people’s approval?
These things are too small to carry your life.
Only Christ can tell you who you truly are.
So today, name one gift God has given you.
Then use it quietly for someone else.
Not to be seen. Not to be praised. Not to prove your value.
Use it as an act of service.
And let others see that love is the greatest gift of all.
Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Matthew
Scripture Attribution
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition,
copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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© 2025 Krakus.
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