Gospel: John 1:35-42
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Mass intention is for John & Margaret Young RIP
Reflection:
All of us, I believe, have been touched by the Christ Child in many ways. It could be through prayer, reading and reflecting on the Bible, or simply gazing at the Nativity scene. We all have a reason for following Him. And like John the Baptist’s disciples, Jesus is asking us “What do you want?”. It is a question that we must take seriously because following Him is a lifetime commitment. Notice how Andrew, after experiencing what it is to stay with Jesus, looked for his brother Simon and introduced him to the Lamb of God. Andrew, Simon Peter, and the other followers of Jesus left their old lives to put on the new life offered by the Lord. United with Him, they preached the Gospel wherever they went and even suffered persecution and death. It is not enough for us to be touched by the Christ Child this season. We must allow His touch to set the world on fire.
- What do you really want from Jesus? Why or why not?
- What events in your life made you discover Jesus as the Messiah?
- “And now we must keep our hearts fixed on him and try with all our souls to please our dear and blessed Lord.” (St Elizabeth Ann Seton) How do you keep your heart fixed on Jesus?
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word today. We want to follow You. We want to be healed of our faults and failures. Use us for the Father’s glory and the salvation of souls. Amen.
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