John 1:35-42
An Invitation
by Rev. Richard A. Miserendino 
Reprinted with permission of "The Arlington Catholic Herald"

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John wrote to show that Christ was
the Messiah, the Divine Son of God.

John  was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watch Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God."  The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.  Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?"  They said to him, "Rabbi" - which translated means Teacher - "where are you staying?"  He said to them, "Come, and you will see."  So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day.  It was about four in the afternoon.  Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.  He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" - which is translated Christ.  Then he brought him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas" - which is translated Peter.

Just over a week ago, around 20,000 Catholics college students gathered in St. Louis for an amazing week of prayer, inspiring talks, fellowship, and fun as part of the annual SEEK conference put on by FOCUS.  Many of those students (including those from our diocese) would tell you that they were living out our Gospel this Sunday (Jn 1:35-42).  Someone had, like John the Baptist, pointed out the Lamb of God, and they, like the disciples, had followed to find out more and to spend some quality time with Jesus.  Then, inspired by what they found, they were sent forth like Andrew to invite others to know the good news and encounter the Lord for themselves.

The Gospel passage also beckons to us to follow in the same way.  It's a roadmap for evangelization that unfolds in three segments.  Each of us can find our home in one of those segments, regardless of where we're at in our lives.  Each of us also receives the same invitation to follow the Lord a little closer in living them out.  How so?

Consider the first piece - the disciples hanging out with John the Baptist.  They had been awaiting the messiah, living out their daily lives knowing that there had to be something more to life than just the here and now.  Their hearts were hungry for something more than this world could offer.  They sensed it in John the Baptist, but even he was waiting for it, too.  Then finally Jesus passes by.  They don't know him yet but follow instinctively at the encouragement of John the Baptist.

Perhaps this is us:  We may feel locked in our daily routine, wondering if there's more to life than what our culture offers.  Or we might even go to church each weekend but feel as if we're missing something.  We hear everyone talking about this messiah who is supposed to be on the way but wonder if we'll ever see him.  In that case this Sunday's Gospel is an invitation to dive a bit deeper, to follow Jesus and learn a bit more about what we believe as Catholics.  If you find yourself in this place, talk to your parish priest and allow him to be John the Baptist to you, suggesting a way that you can follow and learn more out the Lamb of God. 

Or perhaps we fall into the second piece, which unfolds as the disciples spend some one-on-one time with Jesus.  They asked him: "Where are you staying?"  Notice Jesus' response is not a street address, but an invitation.  As good as it is, we're not saved by information, but relationships.  Jesus wants friends, not pen pals or to be on "Christmas card" terms with us.  That takes time spent in common.  And what do the disciples get in reward for their faith in responding to that invite?  They find more than they ever imagined.  Beyond all expectation, they meet God.

Luckily, we know where Christ lives.  He's in the Scriptures, the tabernacle, in the liturgy and the poor.  If we find ourselves in the second category, perhaps we can make time for daily Mass during the week, or prayer with the Scriptures to forge that relationship with the Lord into a deep friendship.

The third piece flows from that second experience: mission work.  It turns out that an afternoon spent with the Lord can be completely transformative.  Andrew is convinced enough to run and find his brother, Simon, and invite him to the party.  Without that invitation, we wouldn't have a first pope.  since then, countless saints have found their life's fulfilment in Christ after being invited to come and meet the Lord by a family member or friend.  This challenges each of us: If we know Jesus, what is holding us back from telling those we know and love about him?  There's an opportunity here to call on the Holy Spirit and overcome whatever might be holding us back.

Regardless of where we are in this week's Gospel, we have a real invitation to follow the Lord and grow in grace.  It's not just for 20,000 young folks or you and me, it's a message of salvation and hope for the whole world.