Today
we hear Jesus call several of his apostles: Come, follow me,
he says, and they follow him. They recognize him as their
Savior, the Son of God. From now on they will have not only
to accept his word but also to live as he lived.
This is why the reading from John's letter fits in very well:
the life of the Christian must be marked by love, for Jesus
gave his life for us. Love is not a theory or mere sentiment
but an experience of commitment.
Opening
Prayer
Lord
our God,
when we do not know what to do or how to live,
you refer us to the living example
of Jesus, your Son.
Help us to learn from him,
not in theory but in practice,
what it means to love.
Give us the courage to follow him
by opening with him our hearts
to our brothers and sisters
and in giving ourselves to them in life and in death
by the strength of Jesus Christ,
your Son and our Lord for ever.
Liturgy
of the Word
First
Reading: 1
Jn 3:11-21
Beloved:
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: we
should love one another, unlike Cain who belonged to the Evil
One and slaughtered his brother. Why did he slaughter him?
Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother
righteous. Do not be amazed, then, brothers and sisters, if
the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death
to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love
remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in
him. The way we came to know love was that he laid down his
life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and
refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in
him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed
and truth.
Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts
condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence
in God.
Responsorial
Psalm: Psalms 100:1-5
Let
all the earth cry out to God with joy.
Sing
joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
Know
that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
Enter
his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
The
LORD is good:
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
Gospel
Reading: Jn
1:43-51
Jesus
decided to set off for Galilee. He found Philip and said to
him, "Follow me." Philip was from Bethsaida, the
town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said
to him, "We have found the one that Moses wrote about
in the Law, and the prophets as well: he is Jesus, son of
Joseph, from Nazareth."
Nathanael replied, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw
Nathanael coming, he said of him, "Here comes an Israelite,
a true one; there is nothing false in him." Nathanael
asked him, "How do you know me?" And Jesus said
to him, "Before Philip called you, you were under the
fig tree and I saw you."
Nathanael
answered, "Master, you are the Son of God! You are the
King of Israel!" But Jesus replied, "You believe
because I said: 'I saw you under the fig tree.' But you will
see greater things than that.
Truly,
I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels
of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
Commentary
Follow
me," Jesus says. Notice that Jesus does not say "Think
about following me." He is direct and to the point. His
words require urgent action. His invitation demands a response
that cannot wait until tomorrow, or next week, or next year.
Philip's life changed in an instant when Jesus spoke those
words. Old patterns of be-havior had to change, and his life
was never again his own. And because of his close association
with Jesus, Philip's life was truly blessed.
As this New Year continues to unfold, may you recognize the
opportunity for starting over again each and every day in
the blessed task of following Jesus.
General
Intercessions
- Lord, you
have seen us in our struggles, in our plodding attempts to follow
you. Keep us in your love, we pray:
- Lord, you have seen how we are often blind to the needs of the
poor and the downtrodden. Open our eyes and hearts, we pray:
- Lord, you know how often words of love are on our lips. Help
us to make them come true in our actions, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
Lord
God, loving Father,
you share with us these gifts of bread and wine
and in them you will give us
your Son Jesus Christ.
May we learn from you and your Son
to share what we have
with people in need
and with our gifts our very selves.
May our love be not just empty words
but something real and active,
on account of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
Lord
our God, loving Father,
in this eucharistic celebration
we have encountered your Son
as our Lord and Savior.
He has seen us and he loves us.
May we live as we believe,
that there be no deceit in us,
but that we follow your Son
on the road of self-giving love,
for he is our Lord for ever.
Blessing
The
Lord sees us where we are and as we are, people mostly full of
good will but full of limitations. He sees us, not to police us
but to love us. May almighty God bless us, the Farther, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.