THE FIRST DISCIPLES AND US, TOO

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —,
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”  John 1: 35-39

Disciple —a person in a close and enduring relationship with Jesus and His followers.

Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?” but the two disciples didn’t answer His question.  Why? Perhaps because, like us when we first “encountered” Jesus, they didn’t know what they were looking for, or what He could do for them.  Or, perhaps, like us encountering someone we don’t know too well, they were cautious.  Instead they asked a safer question, “Where are you staying?”

Let’s jump from this first encounter to their standing on the mountain of the Ascension, looking up as Jesus is not staying with them, but leaving them. Consider all that they witnessed during those years with Him, and how much different they were then compared with who they were in that first “encounter.” I am reminded of the opening words of the Whitney Houston hit:  “Should I stay, I will only be in your way.”  (The Song,  I Will Always Love You, was written by Dolly Parton as a farewell to her tv co-host and singing partner.)

YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER

Letting our first encounter with Jesus happen, and letting Jesus walk with us through the ups and downs of our lives, leads us to discover that Jesus physically stayed here on earth long enough for us to realize that what we truly are looking for is to become lovers of our ever-with-us God.  And, once we get that, we aren’t searching anymore, because we have let ourselves find the strength, the love and the joy of encountering and growing to know, more and more, this very real, very near God-man. And, as those two disciples did, we take the Gospel, this Good News, into the world of our everyday lives, where it is so needed.

That is what Jesus knew we would be looking for:  a deep, ever-expanding relationship with God. And if you think that your faith is just about learning more about a subject and not the building of this relationship, then you are cheating yourself and that is really a shame.

With this in mind, I encourage you to read this excerpt from Fr. Tim’s bulletin column.

Sister Loretta

EXCERPT FROM FR. TIM’S BULLETIN COLUMN

“I would assume that, within the relatively close world of His ‘native’ Galilee, Jesus would, over the course of 30 years, probably have encountered or at least been aware of these fishermen, and they of Him. When the arrest of the Baptist leads Jesus to embark on His public mission, we note a new dynamic, as Jesus ‘sees’ in these men gifts they may not yet recognize in themselves, gifts that will make them reliable collaborators who, after His preparing them and imparting to them the power of His Holy Spirit, will be capable of carrying on His work.

“In St. John’s account we hear another theme—response to inner promptings, moving hearts to voice a desire to learn more about this Jesus, Who has awakened in them a new awareness of themselves and an invitation to new possibilities for their futures. Finally, there is the impulse we see in Andrew’s excitement to invite his brother into the experience of getting to know Jesus, to discover for himself all that may flow from that transforming encounter.

“Jesus’ reply to Andrew and his companion, “Come, and you will see”, is given to us as well. May we heed our hearts’ hunger for Jesus’ presence and make time to spend with Him, allowing Him to transform us into faithful disciples, eager to share the Good News we find in Him.”

Msgr. Tim Shugrue