SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME B

[cappie]

Last Sunday we heard of Jesus' baptism: the call and recognition of an adult as the Son of God; . In Sunday's gospel, Jesus has already moved on from his own baptismal commissioning to calling others to follow him, also this Sunday in the story of the little boy Samuel in the Temple we hear a rare story of the calling of a child into prophetic ministry

Both these stories remind us that God identifies and calls people whom we do not expect him to call: the child, Samuel, the sceptic, Nathanael the stories also remind us that God may call us to do things we do not expect to be asked to do.

The call of Samuel, the call of the first disciples are all relevant to our lives in the faith. Just as Samuel was called by God to be a prophet so each of us is called by God to do some specific work for him; it is part of our faith to believe that, and to watch and listen for how we can fulfil the calling, to act in all areas of our lives in ways that reflect our considered and thoughtful knowledge that God loves and calls us where we are as who we are.

And so, our Gospel today is about two men who were seeking – seeking meaning and purpose for their lives.  They are standing with John the Baptist, and suddenly Jesus walks by.  “Look,” says John, “there, that’s the One.”  And so, they followed Jesus.  And Jesus turned round and saw them following.  He said, “What are you looking for?”  They said, “Where are you staying?”  Jesus said, “Come and see.” (Jn 1:38-39)

“Where are you staying?”  They did not want to know his address!  The Greek word translated as ‘staying’ is the great Johannine word ‘menein,’ which is usually translated as abide.  “Where are you abiding?”  Abide in me and I in you!  They wanted to know Jesus.  “We long to deeply know you.”  “Come and see.”

The profound desire to know and love and abide in Jesus, this is the greatest of adventures,  Praise God!

This what the prophet Isaiah discovered, “Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings like eagles.” (Isa. 40:31)

It is what St. Paul discovered.  “I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I might gain Christ.” (Phil. 3:8)

When we as Christians renounce something, deny ourselves, give something up, it is an act of dignity, a deep desire to accept loss, as St. Paul did, “in order to gain Christ.”  The 3rd century bishop Cyprian wrote, “Christians are a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret.  They have found a joy which is 1,000 times better than the pleasures of our sinful life.”

On this day  we stand with Isaiah, St. Paul, and the first disciples of Jesus.  You stand with the whole company of saints, strengthened in particular by the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis and St Dominic, St Mary MacKillop and a great cloud of witnesses as the Letter to the Hebrews says. So, we do not stand alone.   For it is in community of the Church that we find the strength and courage for life.  It is in this community that  by God’s grace we continue to grow, day by day, into the full stature of Christ.

St. Augustine said this, “To fall in love with God is the greatest of romances. To seek him, the greatest adventure, to find him the greatest human achievement.”

God calls us in many ways and at many different levels. He called us into life. Throughout our lives God continues to call us to a life worthy of our dignity as his children.  

We give thanks today that after all the years of seeking – God finally found us and brought us home.