THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2024
THURSDAY OF CHRISTMAS TIME YEAR B
1 John 3:7-10
John 1:35-42
EXPERIENCING THE MESSIAH FOR GREATER WITNESSING
The slogan is “spread the good news.” That is the missionary mandate every Christian is called to undertake. To spread the good news of Christ coming into our world, of Christ coming to save and deliver us from the dungeon of the devil.
The first sets of disciples that Jesus received according to John’s gospel came from John the Baptist. It was John the Baptist that actually introduced these sets of disciples to Jesus when he pointed out to them the Lamb of God. And leaving John the Baptist, these disciples went after Jesus and made a simple request asking Jesus, “where are you staying?”
But the question of Jesus to them matters a lot in discerning our intentions for being or becoming disciples of Jesus. He asked them, “What do you seek?” Yes in deed, what do we actually seek in following Jesus? What is our purpose and goal in accepting to follow, work and walk along with Jesus. Why are we disciples and followers of Jesus. Have we ever given a thought on our motives and intentions why we are Christians? Are we Christians because of material gains, or for prosperity sake, or for worldly reasons, riches,etc?
Now, this is very key help us understand why we must follow Jesus. Because for Jesus, he comes quietly into our lives to make clear what and why we must follow him. The great idea is that he wants us to experience him first so that we seek the best reason and that was why he invited these disciples of John to “come and see” where he lives, or stays, what he is like and what he intends for them.
The result of their staying with him even though it was just for a day or so, became clear to them why they should be his disciples. Because they came back with a testimony to others of their friends telling them, we have found the messiah. Yes, they found the messiah indeed!!!
So they sought something and found the messiah and relayed this to their friends who invariably wants to have their own experience of Jesus. So the bottom line is that they found the messiah spoken about by the prophets and others. And their mission and intention in their following him was to speak about the messiah to their friends and spread the good news about the new found messiah.
Let us pause here and ask ourselves, first our intentions for becoming Christian. Have we purified this intention by having a very personal relationship and encounter with Jesus who calls us to “come and see” him, to know him better, to be able to witness him more intimately with greater understanding of him?
We need to draw near to Jesus, to stay with him, as he invites us to “come and see” for ourselves. So to see is to stay with Jesus, to build a relationship with him, to encounter him personally and then to purity our intentions through greater knowledge of him. We can do this just as the disciples did, by spending more time with him in the church, involving oneself with personal adoration, Bible reading, sacramental life enhancement through attendance of masses and reception of Holy communion. Jesus desires this of us as this will boast our mandate to speak more and eloquently of him to the world and become better and credible propagators of the faith.
Heavenly Father, you called us to know, love and follow you with the aim of spreading the good news of salvation to our world. Keep us in your love, guide our lives, uphold us in this journey of life and make us better in our knowledge of who you are, and stronger disciples to spread your name to the ends of the earth through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
