It’s the other side of Christmas and most of us have trees put away, decorations have been packed up, things are back to normal. We are in ordinary time now and the green vestments are back. It is a time of getting back to the everyday part of life. I love the joy of Christmas but I can really appreciate the ordinariness of Ordinary Time. This is where the stuff of living really takes place. Past the celebrations and presents and shopping madness.
This is where the faithful continue their worship and seeking of God in their life day in and day out. Work continues too, school is in session, routines and habits are now filling up most of our day. Hopefully more good habits than bad ones. For most of us this is where we reaffirm our commitment and mission as followers of Christ.
So as we start our new year as disciples of Christ, in our Gospel we see Jesus and his disciples starting their mission too. Jesus has been baptized by John in the river Jordan. John the Baptist has successfully prepared the way for Jesus and sent his disciples off to begin their ministry as disciples of Jesus the Messiah. In this early days of Jesus first year of ministry as he begins gathering his disciples it must have been a wonderful and exciting time.
John who wrote the Gospel seems to remember the exact hour of his first meeting with Jesus. He certainly has included details of the words first spoken between the disciples and Jesus.
Andrew is so excited he has to tell his brother. As we assume John went and told his brother James. It must have been a pretty heady time as they heard Jesus talk to them for the very first time, sat down and ate and broke bread with him. I bet no one wanted to sleep and being away from him must have seemed so painful.
What a great beginning, how wonderful it must have been to sit down and stay with Jesus and realize….this is the real deal, the bona vide Messiah, the One, the Lamb of God. The one they had been waiting for.
The first disciples had such decisive conviction – they were ready to drop everything and follow Jesus – nothing else in their world matter. They had found the Messiah and everything else was just stuff. Isn’t this how our relationship should be? Nothing more important than being with Jesus, learning from him, growing in relationship. And from the beginning he knew them better than they knew themselves.
When Jesus asked Andrew and John what are they looking for Jesus already knew. He was able to look deep inside of a man and see not only who he was right then but who he could be. Jesus always was able to see the possibilities of a man. He saw this in Simon Peter in our reading today and the Gospel is full of examples. He knew when a man would follow him and when like the story of the rich man, when he would not.
When he said, what are you looking for, he was asking them to ask themselves that question..to think it through…and when he responded to their question of where he was staying by saying come and you will see, it was a way to say, come and lets talk about this together and come to the truth.
These questions of what are you looking for and where are you staying are important. For we need to ask ourselves those same questions if we are ever to hear what our possibilities might be.
So, what are we looking for?
Jesus does not ask to judge. He knows we come to him on different stages of our journey. Some with greater understanding than others. And like the disciples his response isn’t judgmental or ridicule but kindness and welcoming in. He says come and see.
That is why we come to Jesus – to find what we are really looking for. Sometimes we may think we know what we are looking for but find once we obtain it the desire for it is gone. Some people spend their life chasing one object, one achievement, one possession after another thinking they know what they are looking for but they do not.
It is a question we need to spend time with, contemplate, and ask God to show us the answer. Perhaps a question to ask in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Ask ourselves what are we looking for. If we take the time I believe all of us will find it really isn’t anything to do with new cars, or homes or money or even power or control. It isn’t even the removal of illness or things that cause us fear. When it is boiled down, we will find what we really want is peace, a feeling of knowing God in our hearts and finding a joy that exists whether we are poor or rich, healthy or sick. This is why he said come and see to the disciples. He wanted to hear what they thought they were looking for and then to help them move past things of this world to things that are gifts from God. Peace, joy and love.
What are we looking for?
We need to take time to answer that for ourselves. To find time so we can grow spiritually and grow more open to the gifts from God.
The disciples also asked him where are you staying. It is a question we ask if we want to spend time with someone, get to know them.
We are asked to come and see for ourselves. Where is God for us?
Is He just here at Church, just in heaven, maybe somewhere out there or maybe everywhere but maybe ….not in here(point to my heart)not in our heart of hearts where are fears and secrets and passions live. Maybe we have heard the call from Jesus, have said yes to him. We intellectually know him very well. Many people do.
But do we know him in our hearts? It is another way of asking, does the Holy Spirit live in our hearts, finding our hearts and soul ready to receive him?
By asking where are you staying the disciples did answer the question what are you looking for. For they showed they were open to whatever Jesus had to offer. It was like they were saying…it doesn’t matter what we are looking for…. for you are the Christ and we want whatever you have for us. We are ready to be your disciples.
They were at that place it seemed where their lives, their fears, their particular wants or self doubts were unimportant to them anymore. It was a special moment where the soul is very close to the creator. The soul ready to receive the gifts and presence of God.
That is where we are called to be today. To find a way to let go of anything or anyone or even fear and wants so that we can present ourselves to the God who has already met us more than halfway. That is the wonderful nature of God. When we are ready to really meet him, ask him in our hearts where he is staying, and we ask without reservation, without agenda, with only the openness of the disciples we will find he is already with us. He always has has been with us. It was us who was withholding our love from Him.
The good news today is our God is waiting. Share your heart with him, even the things you don’t want to. The things you don’t think he knows…he already does. Share your fears, your doubts. It is only through honesty that we find God. Isn’t honesty required with all relationships?
As we come to Jesus he will listen, to our fears and questions, even to our self doubts..Remember Jesus knows who we are and what our possibilities might be. He sees us as we are now…warts and all and also what we can become.
Lets begin our mission this year by asking ourselves if we possess the conviction we see in the disciples as they started their mission with Jesus. The joy the disciples had as they ran and brought their brothers to Jesus,
the willingness of the disciples to let go of everything that stood in their way of knowing Jesus Christ in their hearts, and finally do we possess the openness of Samuel who answered the Lord’s call by responding,
Speak, Lord your servant is listening.†
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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