Christ's question for everyone: “What are you looking for?”

"The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew" (1308-11) by Duccio [WikiArt.org]

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, January 18, 2015 | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• 1 Sam 3:3B-10, 19
• Psa 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
• 1 Cor 6:13C-15A, 17-20
• Jn 1:35-42

“What are you looking for?”

It is a question meant for all men of every time and in all places and situations. It is the question put to the two disciples by Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. What are you seeking? What is the purpose of your existence? Who are you looking for?

The Fourth Gospel is filled with questions, each revealing something important and telling about the questioner. The first chapter alone contains a dozen questions, many of them asked by religious leaders or disciples. A couple of questions in John 1 are, however, put forward by Jesus (Jn 1:38, 50). The contrast is notable. While the questions asked by others often betray ignorance and even animosity, the questions asked by Jesus throughout the Gospel of John display knowledge and understanding. He often asks the questions that others either don’t want to ask or don’t think to ask. And his questions are meant to challenge his listeners to have faith.

For example, when speaking with Nicodemus about being “born from above,” Jesus states, “If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” (Jn 3:12). When some of the disciples leave Jesus after his shocking statements about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, Jesus challenges those who remain: “Do you also want to leave?” (Jn 6:67). And while engaged in a tense confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus bluntly says, “Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me?” (Jn 8:46).

Theodore of Mopsuestia, a fourth-century bishop also known as “Theodore the Interpreter,” wrote that Jesus asked his question of the two disciples “in order to give them an occasion to trust him.” They responded by entering into that trust, first by addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (or “Teacher”), and then by asking where he was living. Having been seekers, they became followers.

The reply given by Jesus—“Come, and you will see”—is, like so many of his statements, loaded with multiple meanings on different levels. On the material level, the disciples did follow and see where he dwelt. But on a deeper, spiritual level, they entered into a relationship—Teacher and disciples—that eventually revealed to them a shocking truth: Jesus is the Word, who “was with God” and who “was God” before the beginning of creation (Jn 1:1-3). The One who now dwelt among men was one with the Father, and had been sent to call men to himself, to seek and to save. Those saving truths were given to the disciples because, Jesus said in his high priestly prayer to the Father, “they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me” (Jn 17:8).

After spending the day with Jesus, the two disciples (Andrew and possibly John the Evangelist) find Simon, saying, “We have found the Messiah.” First seekers, then followers, and, finally, disciples. And, in bringing Simon to Jesus, they begin their work as apostles—those who are sent out to proclaim the Gospel.

Man, created in the likeness and image of God but mortally wounded by sin, hungers for truth and meaning. God, the Catechism observes, “calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength” (par 1). Becoming a disciple “means accepting the invitation to belong to God's family, to live in conformity with His way of life” (par 2233). That family, of course, is the Church, and her members pursue holiness, by God’s grace, recognizing the profundity of St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor 6:20).

But it is not enough to keep and live the faith; we must “also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it…” (CCC, par 1816). We must be disciples by asking others, however we can: “What are you looking for?”

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the January 18, 2009, edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

Regnum Christi

The Look That Leads to Deeper Commitment

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

January 18, 2015. Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

John 1:35-42

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." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" -- which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas," -- which is translated Peter.

Introductory Prayer: Lord you know my heart. You know all of my thoughts, desires and intentions, whether they are good or bad. You love me despite all of my failings and dark corners. Thank you for your patience and forgiveness. Thank you for the countless graces that you shower on me daily, though I do not realize it. Thank you for revealing your love to me so that I can stand tall and continue on in the hopes of embracing you forever in heaven. I now dedicate these precious moments to you so that I can know and love you more and be transformed into you.

Petition: Lord, grant me a lively faith that seeks your grace and presence in my daily routine.

1. Worth the Wait: Sometimes it seems that it takes forever for God to answer a prayer. When he does, though, the results exceed all expectation. Ever since Abraham’s time, the world was awaiting a savior. The Book of Genesis records that God tested Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Isaac, unaware of his father’s intention asked, “‘My father! … Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham responded, ‘God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’” John the Baptist announces the good news, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), as he points out Christ by the Jordan River. The prayers of fallen creation are answered as the Savior of the world – God’s lamb – takes the field in salvation history. Is my faith in God willing to endure the test of time? Does my faith wane when my prayers are not answered as fast as I would like?

2. What Are You Looking For? Whom Do You Seek? After the Fall, God promised a savior who would restore to man his communion with God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator” (No. 27). In today’s Gospel passage, Simon Peter and Andrew entrust themselves to Christ. The course of their lives undergoes a radical change for the better. Do I seek Christ every day? Do I entrust my whole life to him? Are there areas in my life that I haven’t turned over to Christ: my financial concerns, my time, my family?

3. The Courage to Leave Yourself Behind: Peter and Andrew experienced Christ more deeply and intensely when they left their previous ways behind. Too often we become inordinately attached to things, ways and lifestyles that do not fit our Catholic faith. Do we have the courage, like Peter and Andrew, to give up our past sins and sinful habits? Can we be generous enough to leave behind even some good things so that we might follow Christ in a relationship that requires a deeper commitment of time, resources or talent? What is holding me back? Do I lack faith and trust in Christ? Is my love up to the challenge? Christ invites us all to “Come and see” what new meaning our lives can have when we deepen our commitment to him.

Conversation with Christ: Oh Lord, teach me not to be afraid, but to have courage in taking on a real commitment of my time, resources and talent. I want to help you extend your Kingdom in the hearts of people. Strengthened by faith and emboldened by your love, I know I won’t be disappointed.

Resolution: I will set aside time each day this week to sit down and study my faith more, especially those areas which I find difficult to explain to others.

Listening for God in the Night

Dr. Mark Giszczak

shutterstock_228941077

January 18, 2015
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
First Reading: 1 Sam 3:3b-10, 19
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/011815.cfm

Sleep is one of the weirdest things we do every day. We spend hours unconscious, lying on our beds, while our bodies recharge and our brains process our experiences. Missing out on sleep is unpleasant and deleterious to our health. But sometimes, our sleep is interrupted. In this Sunday’s first reading, we find a young prophet whose sleep is interrupted by the Lord.

Context

Our passage comes from the beginning of the First Book of Samuel. Samuel’s mother miraculously conceived the boy after praying to the Lord and so she dedicated her son to the Lord’s service. She sent him to the sanctuary at Shiloh to be apprenticed to the head priest, Eli. Unfortunately, Eli’s priest-sons were not behaving like priests should. They profaned the altar of the Lord, stole the sacrificial meat, and swindled worshippers. Their duplicity brought God’s judgment on Eli’s household, which is related at length by a prophet in the passage immediately preceding our reading. Indeed, in the verses cut out from the Lectionary (1 Sam 3:11-18), the doom of Eli’s house is re-told to Samuel. Samuel is only a boy at this time, sleeping in the sanctuary of the Lord. He represents the new and faithful generation which will supplant the rebellious sons of Eli.

Calling in the Night

The Bible often pictures God as the one who “gives to his beloved sleep” (Ps 127:2 RSV) or who “makes me lie down in green pastures” (Ps 23:2). We even invoke “eternal rest” on those who have parted. But in young Samuel’s life, God comes calling in the middle of the night. Why couldn’t he come during the day? Perhaps during the day, being busy with his duties at the sanctuary, Samuel would not have been attentive. In the night, things are quiet. The mind is focused. Darkness and silence lend themselves not only to rest, but to listening. When he has settled on his bed, Samuel can hear that little voice calling to him, “Samuel, Samuel.”

Missing the Moment

Samuel almost missed the most important moment in his life. The Lord came calling and he thought it was merely the priest, Eli. Only after coming to Eli for the third time does the priest realize what is happening. God is calling the boy! Samuel rightly seeks out the wisdom of the elderly man, setting an example for us and demonstrating the importance of mentors. Fortunately, Eli’s character is intact enough to offer sage advice and also fortunately, the Lord is patient enough to call out to Samuel a fourth time. Without his mentor, Samuel could have lost his greatest opportunity. We can take away two important points from this little episode.

Committing to Listen

First, God’s calling is not always as obvious as we’d like it to be. He does not always grant giant signs, an audible voice or miraculous revelations. And even in Samuel’s case, when God does speak audibly to the nascent prophet, he has trouble figuring out who is talking to him. If he did, then we will too. That means listening to God’s voice is not a one-step process, but rather, it involves a serious commitment. We must listen and discern. The message which God is granting to us may be hidden or difficult to understand. Our hearing of him requires patience and wise discernment.

The Patience of God

Second, God is mercifully patient with us fallen creatures. He could have given up on Samuel after the first time the boy misunderstands the voice. Yet God spoke again and again until Samuel responded the right way, with docility and readiness. He did not expect Samuel to respond the right way at first, but patiently repeats himself until the message sinks in. We too might need God to speak the same thing to us over and over until it absorbs. Some things are difficult to hear. Some lessons take time to learn. Our hope lies not in our own ability to hear God, but in his patience with us. That might mean confessing the same sin repeatedly or trying to cultivate a prayer life and failing many times. God does not give up on us, but as a gentle shepherd, helps us, bears with us and leads us. He knows we are limited and imperfect people who need a lot of support and he graciously gives it to us time and again.

Many times in the Bible, God visits in the middle of the night – the dreams of Joseph, Daniel, Solomon, Paul, and even Pharaoh attest to his nocturnal messages. Other biblical episodes show how divine encounters often happen at night: Adam’s rib, Jacob’s ladder, Gideon’s fleece. Samuel’s story comports with other biblical teachings about being prepared for God to require us at inconvenient times: the foolish virgins parable or the sleepy disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. We relish sleep as a welcome relief from the hard work of human life, but perhaps next time your head hits the pillow and you sink in to your mattress, you might let the silence come over you and allow yourself to listen in the dark. You might just hear the same voice that Samuel did 3,000 years ago.

Scripture Speaks: What Are You Looking For?

Gayle Somers

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“What are you looking for?” Jesus asked this question of two men who had begun following Him. Did He already know the answer?

Gospel (Read Jn 1:35-42)

Today, St. John the Apostle, describing the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, tells us that John the Baptist made a comment to two of his own disciples as Jesus walked by them: “Behold, the Lamb of God.” We are used to hearing Jesus spoken of in this way, but it would have been very odd in that day. Jews knew lambs as sacrificial animals. Occasionally, they thought of themselves metaphorically as God’s sheep (as in “The LORD is my shepherd,” Ps 23). However, for John the Baptist to speak of a particular man in this particular way—well, we can see what effect it had: “The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.”

Jesus, aware of the men, “turned and saw them.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t ask, “Who are you?” The question He does ask goes much deeper than a request for their names: “What are you looking for?” These men had been disciples of the Baptist; they had responded to his call to repent in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. Recall how often, in our Advent lectionary readings, we heard John explain that Someone was coming. The people of Judah who flocked to the Jordan, who desired a fresh start as God’s people, were on the alert. The Baptist assured them he was not the One they sought—he baptized with water, but Someone Else was coming to baptize them “with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Mt 3:11).

We are not surprised, therefore, that when two of the Baptist’s disciples heard him say, about Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” they were eager to find out more. It is noteworthy that in response to Jesus’ question, they did not quiz Him about His own identity. They did not ask for a sign. “Rabbi…where are You staying?” Something happened to them during this face-to-face encounter with the One whom John called the Lamb of God. The question they asked was not for a geographical address. In asking it, they revealed their desire to identify with this new Rabbi. They wanted to hear what He had to say, not as curiosity seekers but as His new disciples. Jesus gave them an invitation that would change their lives forever: “Come, and you will see.” In this, we are reminded of what happened to man’s eyesight in Eden. The serpent suggested to Adam and Eve that through disobedience, their eyes would be “opened.” In reality, of course, they were struck blind to the truth about God and themselves. How remarkable that when Jesus began His public ministry, He said, “you will see.”

It didn’t take long for these two men to realize that Jesus was the Someone for whom they had been preparing. The very next day, Andrew, one of the two (tradition tells us the other one was St. John, the author of this Gospel) searched out his brother, Simon, and must have astonished him by saying, “We have found the Messiah.” It is quite probable that Simon had also responded to the Baptist’s preaching. Perhaps that explains his willingness to go with his brother to meet Jesus. When Simon approaches, Jesus seems to know him already! “Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon, the son of John; you will be called Cephas’—which is translated Peter.” What was in that look? Was it the same kind of look that, years later, reduced Peter to tears after he betrayed Jesus (read Lk 22:61)? How did Jesus know that Simon would become the Rock of His Church? What is going on here?

In St. John’s beautiful telling of Jesus’ encounter with His first disciples, we cannot miss one simple truth: God had already been calling these men to Himself before they decided to follow the new Rabbi. They were on a mission to find the Messiah, but this was, itself, a response to God’s call to them, His search for them, His loving knowledge of them. Jesus asked Andrew and John, “What are you looking for?” He knew the answer to this question before they did. Eventually, they, like us, would realize: Lord, we are all looking for You.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, I need to hear often the question You asked Your first disciples. I am prone to look for what I don’t need.

First Reading (Read 1 Sam 3:3b-10, 19)

Our Old Testament reading gives us a wonderful example of how God calls us, even when we don’t realize it. Samuel was a miracle child born to his barren mother, Hannah, in answer to her anguished prayer (about 1000 B.C.). She, in turn, “lent” him to the LORD out of gratitude for the gift of his life (read 1 Sam 1:27-28). In this episode, he is only a youth, living with the priest, Eli, as his helper. While he was sound asleep (our most profound state of doing absolutely nothing!), the LORD called him, but since “at that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,” he assumed it was Eli calling him, a perfectly reasonable assumption. Eli eventually realized that it was the LORD calling Samuel, so he gave the boy a response should he again hear his name called. While Samuel slept, “the LORD came and revealed His presence, calling out as before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’” This time, Samuel responds directly to Him, using words that would become his vocation as the last of the judges of Israel and the first in the office of prophet: “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

God’s persistent call preceded Samuel’s pledge of service. So it was with the apostles; so it is with us.

Possible response: Heavenly Father, help me hear and listen when You call my name.

Psalm (Read Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10)

This psalm is an interesting combination of a man’s desire to obey God, and God’s work enabling him to do it. See how, in response to a cry for the LORD, the psalmist says “He put a new song into my mouth.” In addition, God, not desiring “sacrifice or offering,” gave him “ears open to obedience.” By a remarkable back-and-forth flow, the psalmist, in response to God’s work in him, is able to say, “Here am I, LORD; I come to do your will.” We saw this in Samuel, as well as in the apostles. Jesus was, of course, the definitive expression of this communion between God and man. The writer of Hebrews quotes this psalm to describe the obedience of Jesus to His Father’s will, “and by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:5-10).

Because of what Jesus has done in response to His Father’s initiative, we can now say with the psalmist, “to do Your will, O my God, is my delight, and Your law is within my heart.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20)

In this epistle reading, St. Paul gives us the reason why we must understand that God’s call and search for us precede our search Him. We are not initiating communion but only responding to His initiative. Why is that? St. Paul tells us: “you are not your own… you have been purchased at a price.” We are not autonomous creatures who may or may not begin a search for God! We are made in His image and likeness, and God has redeemed us, body and soul, at a very high cost. He is always calling us—and why wouldn’t He? As St. Paul said once, when he preached in Athens, “in Him we live and move and have our being” (read Acts 17:28).

In other words, God is always inviting us to “come” and “to see,” to listen for His call, and to understand that our bodies are “for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.” What are we to make of this glorious truth? St. Paul tells us: “Therefore, glorify God in your body.”

Possible response: Heavenly Father, how little I understand that I am not my own! Please help me learn and live this more deeply.

One Bread, One Body

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All Issues > Volume 31, Issue 1

<< Sunday, January 18, 2015 >>

2nd Sunday Ordinary Time

1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19
1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20
View Readings

Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-10
John 1:35-42
Similar Reflections

GOD CALLING

"Here I am. You called me." —1 Samuel 3:5

The Lord starts this new year by calling us as He called Samuel, Andrew, and Simon Peter. He is calling us to join Him:

not in a superficial way, but to love Him with all our hearts (Mt 22:37),
in a Christian community of the others whom He has called, and
in waking up and renewing a sleeping Church (see 1 Sm 3:2-3).

We must accept all three aspects of the Lord's call, or we have rejected His call. Some say they've given their lives to Jesus, but are not willing to share their lives with other members of Christ's body, the Church. Others are working in parish renewal but are still compromised with the world and not totally living for Jesus. Christ's call is three-fold — to accept Him, to accept true community life in His body, the Church, and to accept responsibility to help renew this broken body.

Jesus is turning around, noticing us following Him, and asking us: "What are you looking for?" (Jn 1:38) Our answers should be: "We're looking for a total commitment to You, community life in Your Church, and renewal for Your Church." Then Jesus says: "Come and see" (Jn 1:39).

Prayer: Father, "speak, for Your servant is listening" (1 Sm 3:10).

Promise: "You must know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is within — the Spirit you have received from God. You are not your own. You have been purchased, and at a price. So glorify God in your body." —1 Cor 6:19-20

Praise: Praise Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life! (Jn 11:25) I will sing Your praises for all eternity.

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