Humility is the hallmark of John the Baptist: he never boasts or exalts himself but always knows who and what he is - he is there only to prepare the way for the lord. This is what today's world desperately needs. People nowadays seek achievements, richness, power, fame, honour, titles, glory. In fact, the more we have achieved, the farther we have drifted away from who we really are; the more we want to become somebody, the less we become ourselves; the more we lord it over others, the closer we are to the animals. Why is this so? Because life is not in our hands - no one can decide when and where he was born and when he will die. We can never change reality, no matter how the world tells us that we can change our fate so long as we try our best. We are not our own masters. This is what the message of John the Baptist brings to us and to the world: we are not the Messiah, but we can prepare the way for Him.