2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, B January 17, 2021
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
“He first found his own brother Simon and told him… Then he brought him to Jesus.” Can the same be said of us? As we dive deeper into the call to evangelization, this question is crucial for us. While Jesus does in some places speak of randomness – like with the parable of the sower – there is a structure and method to his mission of proclaiming the coming of the kingdom, and it starts with those already close at hand.
Andrew and this other disciple, probably our own John the Evangelist, are disciples of John the Baptist. They are already students and seekers of the truth about God when John the Baptist tells them something odd. Try to imagine how weird it is to point out a stranger and call him a sheep, to call him the lamb of God. Andrew and the other disciple, probably realizing it’s a reference to a prophesy from Isaiah, immediately go to follow Jesus. And Jesus stirs up their desire a little more by asking what they are looking for, what they are seeking. The next few details are more than meets the eye.
John tells us this was about four in the afternoon. In a world without electric lighting and where you have to walk to get anywhere, 4pm means you need to start thinking about where you’re spending the night. You can’t just jot on over to the next town and make it back at a reasonable time. You either stay near your home or make arrangements for a night elsewhere.
“Rabbi, where are you staying?” is not just a question about his hotel room. It shows us that they already see Jesus as someone to learn from, a rabbi. The word used for “staying” could also mean “dwelling” or “abiding.” Jesus later uses this same word to emphasize spiritual indwelling and being united to the Father – “abide in me.” The surface level of wanting to spend the evening with Jesus is pointing to a deeper kind of dwelling with him. “Come and you will see” is the invitation not just to share a meal and a conversation, but through these to encounter a more profound sense of “abiding” with God in Jesus Christ.
Evidently, the cryptic introduction from John the Baptist and the brief encounter with Jesus struck Andrew profoundly. He is the first person in the Gospel of John to call Jesus “Messiah,” and his first instinct is to tell his brother: “we have found the Messiah.” So Simon is introduced to Jesus and given the first prophecy of his mission and purpose. The worldwide mission of Jesus begins with those close at hand, those already somewhat familiar with God’s plan.
So, this series of homilies on evangelization is going to follow that similar pattern. When I spoke of evangelizing last week, I left it as a general exhortation. In practice, however, there are different kinds of evangelization and there is an inner logic that we should strive to understand. Today is an important part of that inner logic. Jesus starts with devout Jewish men – men willing to follow John the Baptist and who were on the lookout for the Messiah. In our context, that translates to investing in Catholics who have some desire to be good, to be better. In translates to evangelizing ourselves.
We live in a culture so where the Gospel gets treated like background noise. Jesus is just one person in a crowd walking by. It takes a John the Baptist to point him out, “behold the Lamb of God.” It takes someone like Andrew to take a closer look and, out of brotherly love, drag his brother with him, “check this out, it’s the messiah!”
How do we do this in practice? You’re here, so that’s a start. Every time you go to Mass, you hear those same words of John the Baptist, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” If you want to go to heaven, you have to evangelize and if you want to evangelize, you have to take that next step, to follow Jesus and allow him to ask you “what are you looking for?”
Seriously, ask yourself that question right now, what are you looking for? A shorter homily? A nice meal after Mass? A job? Boyfriend, girlfriend, new game, better grades, more money? What are you looking for, really? [pause a few moments] Is it not happiness? Meaning? Is it Jesus? Then ask him, “where are you staying?” “Come and see.” What do you think I’m going to tell you to do in response to that command from Jesus? Adoration. Seriously, one of the most evangelical things we can do is spend… waste time abiding with Jesus just as these new disciples waste an evening with him here.
Not that you stop there! Abiding with Jesus means we also invite others to meet him “We have found the Messiah!” Literally bringing people to adoration with you probably isn’t the best way to do that – in some cases it might be. Instead, work on having Christ abide in your home and family and invite people into that. Have a friend over for dinner and a bible study. Use your free subscription to Formed.org to find good movies, recordings, and other programs. Invite them to watch or listen with you. Inviting people to Mass doesn’t usually work with non-Catholics or people who don’t know Jesus, but it is a good step for people who are already Catholic and just drifted away. Invite them to Mass and to lunch/dinner afterward. To say “Hey, come to Mass with me and I’ll treat you to lunch” just might do the trick.
In fact, as part of this renewed evangelical effort, I want to start where Jesus did – reaching out to those who already know a little. Especially after we’ve lost half our weekly attendance to Covid, I want to send a letter to every Catholic in the area and invite them back to Mass for Lent, to give them a chance to hear once again “behold the Lamb of God” and to abide with Jesus. But I need your help.
First, send us addresses of Catholics in Jeanerette who aren’t going to Mass. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, invite them yourself to come with you. Third, be welcoming to those that come. A nod, a smile, a simple “welcome” or “hello” to someone you haven’t seen in a while or at all is good. Please don’t make a bunch of noise before Mass, but chatting with people outside afterward, especially while the weather is temperate, can help them better recognize Christ in our community.
Like Andrew, we can say “we have found the Messiah.” We can say it, but that still leaves us with this question: Will we?