2nd Sunday Ordinary Time Jan 17-18, 2015

Today’s scripture presents us with a familiar story taken from the Gospel according to John. The narrative focuses on Jesus inviting his first disciples to join him. He does so with a simple question. He asks Andrew and a second disciple, who is not identified, “what are you looking for?” I will briefly retell the story in my own words. As I do, I encourage you to imagine what it would be like if you were the unnamed disciple and were a first-hand witness.

Andrew and I were conversing with John the Baptist about the forgiveness of sin and the Kingdom of God. As we were sharing, John caught a glimpse of his cousin – the Nazarene. Without the slightest doubt or hesitation, he proclaimed: “Behold the Lamb of God.”

We were startled by his words. It was apparent that John, even though he was a prophet, had a keen insight that Andrew and I were lacking. John reminded us that One mightier than he would come. So John sent us on our way with the instructions to go and discover for ourselves what this man is all about. With great expectations and with much excitement, we hurriedly left John and began to follow Jesus, but we did so from a distance.

As Andrew and I walked together, we wondered how closely we should draw near to Jesus. Up to this point, we were simply relying on the testimony of John the Baptist. The Lord had not yet revealed anything directly to us. Suddenly Jesus stopped walking, turned and faced us, and asked: “What are you looking for?” We replied, “Where do you dwell?” Jesus replied, “Come and you will see.”

Jesus has extended an invitation to ‘come and see’ to all who have ever lived.
The incarnate Son of God, born to redeem his creation, is eager for us to recognize his presence in our lives. He is eager to show us the way to his Father. He is eager for us to share his love with others while explaining the words that will lead to everlasting life.

During our lifetime, Jesus will extend many invitations. All of them will be gracious and all of them will come with a promise. But don’t believe in Jesus or his promises simply on my say-so or even the church’s say-so. The point of today’s Gospel is that if you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you must accept his invitation to walk with him. You must set aside some time to reflect on the words that lead to everlasting life, and with a leap of faith, you must accept those words as your very own.

If your faith in Jesus makes you ready to accept this responsibility, then the love of Christ, combined with our prayers and our service to others, will restore God’s Kingdom on earth. It’s only a matter of time and it won’t be easy. People are slow to change and they have a myriad of distractions to deal with .

Our bodies are frail, our minds are overwhelmed with enormous responsibilities, our egos are easily bruised and battered, and we need to take time to grieve the loss of our loved ones. In addition, some of us are weighed down with the heavy burdens that accompany shame, sorrow, doubt, and frustration; but the Good News is that Jesus has already released us from those burdens. They are no longer ours to carry. They were nailed to the cross along with our Redeemer. They are no more. Again, don’t rely on my testimony just go and see for yourself.

If you come, you will witness God’s kingdom being restored. Lives are being change in the light of the Gospel because the closer people draw to pure holiness; the more they will recognize and attend to their own sinfulness. Hearts that have hardened and eyes that are unwilling to see - will be opened. Not because they are forced to, but because the grace and love that God poured into their hearts at their baptism, are always present to point them in the right direction. In order to be a disciple of Jesus, change and conversion of heart are not optional; they are mandatory.

God favor rests on those who understand that “who we are today is not as important as who we are willing to become tomorrow.”

That’s why we are here – to find out for ourselves, with the aide of our brothers and sisters, who Jesus is and what he’s expecting of us. We must find out how lovely his dwelling place really is. We need to realize that as we walk with Jesus, the splendor of his glorious light dispels all darkness. We need to be aware that as we emerge from our darkness that the Lamb of God was walking with us, guiding our every step.

Good things happen when we draw close to Jesus and when we proclaim his splendor to all who are willing to listen.

So, we are encouraged to discover and use our charisms to promote God’s kingdom. If you can sing, join a choir. Start the inquiry process if you believe that you are being called to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, or lay ministry. If you feel called to visit the sick and imprisoned, be not afraid to do so. If you want to pray with others to deepen your relationship with Jesus, join one of our prayer groups.

If you are a candidate for First Eucharist, listen carefully to your parents and teachers. God will put words on their lips which will be a source of encouragement for you. Let them help you discover what Jesus meant when he said: 1) Seek and you will find. 2) Knock and the door will be opened. 3) Come to me if you grow tired and are heavy burdened, and most especially, 4) Come to the feast and you will see that I have prepared a place for you at the table.

Most of all, if you hear the Lord calling your name, as Samuel did in today’s first reading, I encourage you to respond the same way he did. Simply say, “Hear I am Lord – your servant is listening.” “HERE I AM”

Then go for a walk and see!