Do you feel like the conqueror of the world? Our first reading says we who believe that Jesus is the Son of God possess eternal life. We have conquered the world because the world has no hold on us.

John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as mightier and greater than John himself was. What made Jesus mighty? His miracles like feeding the thousands, walking on water, curing the sick and resuscitating Lazarus and others? Was it his cleansing of the temple? Or was Jesus mighty because of his gentle kindness? Was it because of his willingness to love everyone regardless of how he was treated or received by them? Was it because of his willingness to surrender his will to the will of his heavenly Father? Francis de Sales taught that nothing is as strong as gentleness and nothing as gentle as real strength.

How was Jesus mighty? Not physically or politically or socially during his lifetime. He was mighty because he was the messiah and revealed God and although he seemed to have been largely unrecognized and unheeded during his lifetime he was actually quite successful and achieved the end for which he was sent.