1 Samuel 3:3b -10, 19;
Psalm 40:2 and 4ab.7-Sa.8b-9.10;
1Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20;
John 1:35-42 Full Readings
Pointing others to God
Brethren, this Sunday's first and Gospel readings teaches us to always help others to discover God, to always point others to God as we see Eli helping Samuel to recognise and respond to the voice of God when God called him, and also as John points Andrew and his brother Simon Peter to Jesus the Messiah, and also Andrew continues to point his brother Simon to the Messiah, who was named Peter and who became the rock on which the church stands. Brethren, it's our duty that if we have found Jesus we should also point him to others so that we are all saved.
The second reading gives the way a Christian or one who has found Christ should live, that's, to avoid fornication and other sins that directly affect our bodies. This is because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit and abusing them means abusing the Holy Spirit and God. Let us try by all means to avoid all temptations that lead us to fornicate and use our bodies not for the sake of the kingdom but for our sake.
When we look for Jesus or when we come to him, What Are We Looking For? This is that Jesus asked the disciples who followed him. The questions God asks through the Bible are always penetrating and pertinent. Today, he asks us, “What are you looking for?” That is to say, when we approach Jesus, are we looking for a solution to a problem? Someone to blame? An answer? Consolation? Or, are we looking for a person? Do we approach prayer as a relationship? Time to be with someone whom we love and who loves us? If we want to know Jesus better, let’s imitate the disciples in this Gospel and stay with him.
Let us also ask God questions not as interrogation but in order to deepen our relationship with him. Where Are You Staying? The questions we ask God are also important. We shouldn’t be afraid to ask God questions, especially questions that can lead us into a deeper relationship with him, such as, “Where are you Lord? Where are you staying? Where do I find you time and again?” And we ask ourselves, “What aspects of Christ in the Gospel always stand out to me? What kind of needs do I feel called to respond to? Where do I experience God working through me for the good of others?” By seeking the answers to these questions we discover Christ within us.
Come and See: In the day-to-day experience of prayer, it can be hard to see where God is leading us, but by looking back and seeing the patterns of his presence and love in our lives, we can grow in our recognition of his guidance. When the first apostles initially experienced Christ, they immediately invited others to come and see. The Christ that we experience is the Christ that we are called to transmit to others. By reflecting upon our own experiences of Christ’s loving presence in our lives, we become better apostles of his love for those around us.
Let us Pray
Lord, help me to enter into dialogue with you every day. I want to be able to hear your questions and also ask you mine. I want to know you better so that I can follow you more closely and bring others to do the same. Amen
Be blessed
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