Reading 1 1 Jn 3:7-10
Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God's seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Gospel Jn 1:35-42
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched 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 he 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.
Meditation: John 1:35-42
“Come, and you will see.” (John 1:39)
A card arrives in the mail. You open it to find it is an invitation to a dear friend’s wedding. You are honored to be invited, and you quickly mark your calendar. Every time you pass the calendar, you find yourself anticipating the day until it finally arrives.
This is how God wants us to read today’s Gospel passage. He wants us to know that today, and every day, Jesus is offering us an invitation. He is inviting us to come and see.
When Jesus offered this invitation to Andrew and his friend, the two quickly stopped what they were doing and followed him. They must have felt honored that Jesus wanted to spend time with them— time away from the crowds, time just with them. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was that they had the privilege of being with the One whom John had just identified as the Lamb of God. And their lives were completely changed.
Every day, Jesus is knocking on your heart, inviting you to come and see the love and wisdom he has for you. It’s amazing, but it’s true: Jesus really enjoys spending one-on-one time with you, just as he does with each and every one of us. Jesus has so many things he wants to show you. He has so many ways he wants to reveal himself to you. Imagine yourself as a child, standing in wide-eyed wonder at the sight of something new and marvelous. That’s how Jesus wants us to approach our prayer time. What will I see today? What will the Lord say to me? How will he change my heart?
What a privilege it is to follow the Lamb of God! Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation, comes to you every day, puts his arm around you, and talks with you. He wants to fill you with grace and strength. He wants the words “Come, and you will see” to be your refrain today and every day. He is waiting for you.
“Jesus, thank you so much for your invitation! Yes, I want to come and see all that you have for me this day. Open my eyes to the wonder of your love so that I can know you more.”
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