THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Thursday of 21^st Week in Ordinary time, 2022

Rev 21:9b-14

Ps 145

John1:45-51

Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle.

Come and see

Bartholomew, one of the Twelve, is traditionally identified with Nathanael, who features in today’s gospel reading (Jn 1:45-51). Initially, Nathanael pours cold water on Philip’s witness to Jesus, whom Philip has come to recognize as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. Nathanael’s refusal seems to be based on a kind of small-town prejudice. We subsequently learn in John’s gospel that Nathanael was from Cana, which is not far from Nazareth. 

When Nathanael asks, ‘From Nathanael! Can anything good come from that place?’ he displays a dusty opinion of this neighboring small village. Yet, Nathanael’s initial refusal of Philip’s witness to Jesus was not the end of Nathanael’s journey. He subsequently had a change of heart and responded to Philip’s invitation to come and see Jesus. However, Jesus had already seen Nathanael even before Nathanael’s initial dismissal of Philip’s witness. Jesus had a relationship with Nathanael before he had a relationship with Jesus and when Nathanael realized this he confessed his faith in Jesus as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, ‘You are the King of Israel’. He was continuing to make progress on his journey of faith. Jesus assures him that he will make further progress in the future; he will see ‘greater things. He will come to recognize Jesus as the meeting place of heaven and earth, the one on whom the angels of God are ascending and descending. 

Nathanael’s journey of faith can speak to our journey. The Lord is relating to us even when we are not relating to him. Our initial resistance to the Lord’s call need never have the last word. He continues to call us to come and see. If we respond in any way to the Lord’s call, he will affirm us in our journey and he will continue to open up new horizons on for us our journey of faith until we come to see and appreciate him as God with us, the one through whom God’s love comes to us.

Let us pray: Jesus, thank you for turning a prejudiced man into a Spirit-filled apostle and missionary. Transform me as well. Amen

+Remain blessed