Bulletin Reflection - 17 January 2021 - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 1:35-42

      Jesus gives the young men in today’s Gospel a welcoming invitation: “Come and see”  Since the time of those first disciples, Jesus and his followers have been witnesses to their faith and have been inviting others to join them. John the Baptist himself witnessed to two of his own disciples, calling Jesus “the Lamb of God”.  By doing so, John expands their view of who Jesus really is.  In fact, near the end of John’s Gospel, it states that this witness and these signs have been recorded here in the Gospel in order that we may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and through this belief, that we might come to have new life in him.   

       “Come and see” is not only the invitation these young men receive in today’s Gospel.  This is the invitation all of us receive.  Yet, sometimes we can be like Samuel in our first reading today.  God kept calling out to Samuel, but Samuel was confused.  He wasn’t sure who was calling out to him.  It took four tries before Samuel could respond directly to God.  Sometimes we don’t recognize God immediately. However the main thing is that we not give up, that we keep listening until we recognize his voice. 

        “Come and see.”  Like this welcoming invitation that Jesus extends to us, we as believers are called to witness and invite others to the faith, too.  Look at how Andrew responds in the Gospel today.  He is a great example for us to follow.  He hears the witness of John the Baptist, then goes with Jesus to where he is staying, and he stays with him.  He then searches out his brother, Simon Peter, telling him with great excitement – “We have found the Messiah!”  Andrew brings his brother to Jesus.  He is so excited about sharing his new-found faith with others.

       And as we are thinking of discipleship and witnessing, we are called to look at how we ourselves are witnesses for the faith.  In a month, on February 17, we will commemorate Ash Wednesday and the beginning of our Lenten journey.  We know that there are many in our parish who are not yet coming back to Mass.  Maybe each one of us could reach out to those who are not yet back.  Perhaps we can invite them to come back to our parish on Wednesday, in person or virtually, to join us on our Lenten journey, to start coming back to the Sunday masses.  We are known to be very inviting and welcoming here at St Jude.  We are called to reach out to our brothers and sisters in the faith.  Let us accept the invitation Jesus gives us today to truly be a witness for him in the world.