Simple evidence of truth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to some simple situations where we are in contact with Jesus calling us to come and see.

Simple Love

The First Letter of John indicates that the presence of self sacrificing love indicates Jesus is near.

 * [3:11–18] Love, even to the point of self-sacrifice, is the point of the commandment. The story of Cain and Abel (1 Jn 3:12–15; Gn 4:1–16) presents the rivalry of two brothers, in a contrast of evil and righteousness, where envy led to murder. For Christians, proof of deliverance is love toward others, after the example of Christ. This includes concrete acts of charity, out of our material abundance 1

The Gospel from John identifies the quality of saying what you mean as you seek truth as being near to Jesus.

 * [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).
* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).2

When Julie Kalkowski thinks about Jesus and his path, the reading from 1st John comes to mind. As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to love and to love everyone. How is that even possible?

 I kept pondering why the nuns seemed to be so grounded, so full of love towards us and others.  After several hours, I remembered they gathered three times a day as a community to pray. Three times a day their attention was pulled back towards God. Three times a day, seven days a week, week in and week out.  No wonder the nuns seemed calmer, more at peace. When you are reminded three times a day about what is truly important, it can be easier to follow Jesus. That pattern must have been what made it easier to be as kind and gracious as the nuns were to Emma and me.3

Don Schwager asks what kind of proof did Philip offer to Nathanael in the passage from the Gospel of John?

 Rather than argue with his friend, Philip took the wiser strategy of inviting Nathanael  to "come and see" for himself who this Jesus claimed to be. Clever arguments rarely win people to the Gospel - but an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ can change one's life forever. When people are receptive to the word of Christ and when they see his love in action, the Lord Jesus himself, through the power of the Holy Spirit, touches their hearts and opens their minds to recognize that he truly is the Son of God who reveals the Father's love and truth to us.4

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:43-51 declares that Jesus sought them out—so that they could find him!

 This is the heart of the Christian life. It’s about coming out of hiding. It’s about staying still long enough for Jesus to find us and speak his word to us. Nathanael was resting, waiting, contemplating when Philip introduced him to Jesus—and that quiet disposition helped him open his heart.
Jesus is seeking you out right now. Don’t hide! Stay quiet enough to let him find you.5

Friar Jude Winkler urges us to delve deeper into Love beyond affection and attraction. Our faith life has two dimensions: horizontal and vertical. Friar Jude connects Nathanael to Jacob and Israel in the Hebrew Testament.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Quaker author and elder Parker Palmer who writes about his evolving perspective and priorities as he grows older.

 But the junk I really need to jettison in my old age is psychological junk—such as longtime convictions about what gives my life meaning that no longer serve me well. For example, who will I be when I can no longer do the work that has been a primary source of identity for me for the past half century?
I won’t know the answer until I get there. But on my way to that day, I’ve found a question that’s already brought me a new sense of meaning. I no longer ask, “What do I want to let go of, and what do I want to hang on to?” Instead I ask, “What do I want to let go of, and what do I want to give myself to?”
The desire to “hang on” comes from a sense of scarcity and fear. The desire to “give myself” comes from a sense of abundance and generosity. That’s the kind of truth I want to wither into.6

Jesus seeks us out constantly as our experience in life continues to offer changes and challenges.

References

1	(n.d.). 1 John, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 5, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/3
2	(n.d.). John, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 5, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/1
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 5, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 5, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(2019, January 5). Mass Readings and .... Retrieved January 5, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/01/05/
6	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: January 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved January 5, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/01