2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2024
1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19 1 Corinthians 6: 13-15 John 1:35-42
We have just finished the liturgical season of ‘Epiphany’. Epiphany means revelation or manifestation and we associate it mainly with the revelation to the three Wise Men of Jesus as the Messiah. There were also manifestations of Jesus at his Baptism when the voice of Father declares ‘This is my Son, the Beloved’ and when John the Baptist points him out as ‘The Lamb of God’. Later in the life of Jesus, his mother, Mary reveals him in her own way when she tells the disciples to ‘do whatever he tells you’. Epiphany, manifestation, revelation continues daily in our lives. Jesus as Lord becomes a reality in the world when people respond to God’s call. Our scripture readings for today’s Mass show us some of the important elements of our Call, of how we should respond as disciples of the Lord.
Firstly, Faith comes from hearing and seeing. Saint Paul, writing to the Romans says; “They will not believe ii him unless they have heard of him and will not hear of him unless they get a preacher” (Rom 9:14). Our gift of Faith comes from God but it is delivered to us by people like our parents or teachers or witnesses who live around us. John the Baptist is a model of how a witness hands over to Christ. Unselfishly he directs his own followers towards the one who was to come after him; “He must increase and I must decrease”.
Today we read from the Gospel of Saint John. John is the theologian of the evangelists and throughout his gospel he teaches the theology of Call, of Response and of Faith. Faith develops by learning from the Master. The two disciples who go to see where Jesus lives, firstly see him as a teacher and, as they get to know him, they realise that they are with the Messiah. ‘Come and See’ he invites them, they ‘stare hard at him’ and know him. We ‘stare hard’ when we spend time at prayer and study the Word of God. Another important aspect of our Faith is that we share it with others. It was early on the morning after spending the day with Jesus that Andrew acted as a missionary and shard his Faith with his brother, Peter ‘We have found the Messiah, the Christ’. It is in giving that we receive, it is in sharing our Faith that we claim it more deeply. Faith becomes more complete when we share it with others.
Another significant aspect of Faith which we notice in today’s Gospel is ‘the new name’! When Simon comes to know Jesus, Jesus stares hard at him and gives him a ‘new name’, a new identity. Like Abram who becomes Abraham, meaning ‘father of a new people’ and Mary who is addressed as ‘Gratia Plena’, ‘Full of Grace’, Simon becomes Peter, ‘Rock’. It is the same for all of us who receive the gift of Faith because in the Book of Revelations we are told ‘To those who prove victorious I give the hidden manna and a white stone – a stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it’ (Rev 2:17)
Abraham’s stone told him that he was to be the Father of a great people, Mary’s that she was to be the Mother of God, John the Baptist’s that he was to prepare the way and fade into the background, Simon Peter’s that he was to be the foundation stone. What is written on your stone? What is the Lord calling you to do or asking of you today?