Second Sunday in Ordinary
Time
A Homily - Cycle B - 2011-2012
by Fr. Luke Dundon
First Reading - 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10
Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Gospel - John 1:35-42
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.
Our seminarian Thomas mentioned High School last week, so yours truly went down memory lane… In 1995, while in the 8th grade, it was time to think about where to go to high school. Among the Catholic options in the area, many good choices came – Paul VI High School, Bishop Ireton High School, and Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School…I visited each, talked with the students, carefully weighed my options, then made the decision - Bishop O’Connell High School.
Now, being a native of Chantilly, you might ask, Why O’Connell? I went to O’Connell, not because of its excellent academic program, though it does have that. I went to O’Connell, not because of its outstanding athletics program, though it surely has that too. I went to O’Connell, not because it has a wall in the religious wing, covered with alumni who answered religious vocations to the consecrated life and the priesthood. Bishop O’Connell has all those things, but I went for none of those reasons.
I
suppose I should add some supplementary information. Secondary, inferior, less
important, but I’ll mention it anyway.
O’Connell has pretty neat school colors. Blue and Grey – after coming from a
school whose colors were brown & yellow, blue & grey was a refreshing change! I
suppose I should also mention that O’Connell has an impressive architecture to
it, multiple wings inter-connected by elevated hallways and walkways, two or
three stories tall! Makes you feel like you’re in college. These
reasons, the cool colors and the impressive architecture, these reasons
were why I went to O’Connell High School, I liked the digs! (don’t tell may
parents!)
Well, perhaps it wasn’t so important to “like the digs,” but it was still time to head off to high school…just as it was time to follow Jesus on the shores of Galilee. John the Baptist calls out, behold the lamb of God!!! We hear those words all the time at Mass, and so it might be easy to slip into expecting it. However, when they heard those words for the first time on the shores of Galilee, 2,000 years ago, their hearts started to race, their blood started to pump, this might be the one that their nation was awaiting for a thousand of years!!! And so, behold the Lamb, God is passing by, go catch him! The first followers run up to Jesus…He turns, this is the big moment! What does He say?
What are you looking for?
Some statements in the Bible are so poignant and so powerful, so cutting-edge that they pierce through all time and are as fresh as when they were first spoken. You feel like Jesus is standing in the room when you hear it even today, as the words are proclaimed again – what are you looking for? Important words, because the Question is important, it’s relevant, to every person that has ever lived, or is living now, or ever will live...we are all looking for something! Rock and roll groups have written songs which reflect on how they still haven’t found what they’re looking for! And yet, everyone is looking…for what?
Small things, based on Andrew’s response – where are you staying, Lord? Gotta nice place? How are your digs? Good colors, impressive hallways? And how does Jesus respond? Excuse me? Do you know who I am? And you’re asking where I’m staying? No…Jesus doesn’t respond this way…rather, he takes them where they’re at, and says, “Come and See.”
Not just a statement…but a promise. Come follow Me, and you will see…you will see what I have in store for you. I have much to tell you, not as I speak to my servant Samuel, but as a friend who speaks to another friend. You want to see where I’m staying, but you will see the greatness I have called you to! Doesn’t it remind you of Thomas’ talk last week? Come, and you will see!
Our intentions might start out small, but when we follow the Lord, in whatever small way we can, he can work with that…I joined O’Connell, and had fun walking down those blue hallways…eventually I found the religion hallway…eventually I found the chapel, and started to enjoy adoration…and so, I found where He was staying…and so I found Him!
When we find Christ, when Christ walks by, may even the smallest part of our hearts desire Him, He will do great things with that, and He will fulfill every other desire…It will change us, we will want to share this in our words and actions, we have found the Messiah!!! When we hear the priest declare at Communion, behold the Lamb of God, we need look no further, we have finally found what we’re looking for, for we have found Him. We have finally found Jesus. What will happen next? Come and See!