Homily for 2nd Sun OT, Year B
Fr. Albert
St. Peter’s, New Iberia
“We have found the Messiah.” What do those words make you think? What do you feel? Think of a football scout running up to the coach saying, “we found him, the perfect quarterback” or left tackle or whatever position your team most needs. Imagine if you were out of work for a while and starting to miss some bills, but your brother calls you up suddenly saying “hey, I got a job for you: $70,000 a year, full benefits, great retirement.” What would you think then? What would you feel? Would you rejoice?
Whenever you look eagerly for something, it brings joy to finally find it. Andrew and Simon were fisherman, yes, but they were obviously looking for more than a great catch. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, a student of this radical prophet in the desert. At the words, “behold, the lamb of God” Andrew goes from fisherman and part-time follower of John to a full-time follower of Jesus. And he does it joyfully.
And the joy was infectious. Like getting a great job or finding some new talent for the team, the joy of discovery naturally leads us to share it with others. Simon must have been deeply moved by his brother’s exuberance, because he follows him. What starts with the claim “we have found the messiah,” ends with both of these men going on to be among the greatest saints of all time.
Starting here, their lives are radically changed for the better. Even though they always remain poor, they are happy. Even while they are despised by the world for daring to know and love this man, they are happy. Even while they are killed for it, they are happy. This is the joy of finding what they were searching for. Unlike a job or a home, finding the messiah is nothing less than finding eternal life filled with eternal peace. And the joy of this discovery is available to you too.
You may have noticed, however, that we don’t get to see Jesus face-to-face like Andrew and Simon, that a happy life is a hard thing to find. You may have noticed that God’s call isn’t always clear to you. You may have noticed that it is not easy to share the Gospel. How, then, do we find happiness, confidence, and the desire to spread the Gospel?
By looking for it. Yes, you have jobs and family and hobbies, but what are you searching for? If the answer is “nothing,” then you will find exactly that, nothing. But if you are searching for God, for the messiah, you will find him. Though, it helps to know where to look.
You’re here at Mass, so you know the basics about the faith. You know the “answers” to all sorts of religious questions. But that doesn’t mean that you’ve found the messiah, found Jesus… at least not in the deepest part of your heart… not in a way that actually affects the way you live. Let’s be real for a second; It is quite possible to go to Mass every Sunday, never kill anyone, and still go to Hell. Heaven is not some default option for people who coast through life chasing comfort and fun. Heaven is life with God and God is found by those who search for him. But that’s the good news, he can be found. He wants to be found.
You might be thinking to yourself “yeah, but I pray and come to Mass and I don’t feel anything… I don’t get anything out of it. What does finding God even look like then?” I’ll tell you. And I’ll even tell you exactly how to find Him.
Finding God looks like the saints. Pick a saint, any of them. Man, Woman, Black, White, Brown, poor, rich, married, single, priest, nun, young, or old. They found God and their lives show it. Some of them are among the most famous people of all human history. Some are completely forgotten, but they all had something in common: the joy of knowing God and living for that God, living for Jesus Christ. The same thing is possible for you. No, really, it is. You just have to find God.
Great, so where do we find him? Look at the readings again. Two different stories of discovery, of being called by God, but they have something in common. For all our searching, discovering God ultimately depends on God, but there is one thing we can do to make sure we don’t miss it. Spending time in the presence of God.
Samuel is sleeping “in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was.” Andrew asks Jesus, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” In both cases, they stay where God is. They spend time, they dwell with Him. How many nights did Samuel sleep there before God called? How many years did Andrew and Simon pray until they met Jesus? But they kept looking and they spent all the time they could in the presence of God.
It is the same way with us, but we have an advantage. Paul says it here: through Baptism, you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. God is present in you, and in the whole Church. God is present in the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist in every tabernacle in the world.
Yet, being in God’s presence isn’t just a matter of physical location. Not everyone can spend 12 hours in the chapel a day, though most of us can spend more than we do. It is a matter of attention. Trillions of dollars are spent to capture your attention, but it’s ultimately yours to control. And, your eternal fate is decided largely on how you spend that attention. So, it all comes back to this, what are you looking for… how do you spend your attention?
Practice paying attention to God’s presence in your own soul. Even if it starts with simply telling yourself “God is present” several times a day. Spend time with the Eucharist, even if you go to the chapel and spend the whole time chasing distractions out of your mind. Even if you often fall asleep like Samuel or St. Therese of Lisieux. Even if you do nothing but sit there and fume at God, angry and unsure, you are at least paying attention to Him!
“We have found the Messiah.” We, the Church have found Him and we want you to find Him. As Jesus said to Andrew, so we say to you now “What are you looking for?” Do what it takes to answer back, to ask God, “where are you staying” so that you can hear the answer, “come – spend time with me – and you will see.”
