In the Gospel of John there are certain questions that jump off the page, significant beyond their immediate context. In the Gospel for the second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Jn 1:35-42) we have one such question. It is, in fact, Jesus’ first words in that Gospel account: “What are you looking for?”
The immediate context is important enough. Seeing Jesus, the Baptist had just cried out within ear shot of his own disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God!” While these words do not strike us as profoundly as his original hearers because of their familiarity to our ears hearing them in each Mass, they resound with rich meaning about who Jesus is. In the Baptist’s humble acceptance of his role in salvation history, he readily admits he is not the Messiah, but with great eagerness points him out. Indeed, as the Baptist says later in this Gospel, he must decrease and Christ must increase (cf. 3:30).
Two of John’s disciples hear this proclamation and begin to follow after Jesus. Our Lord says to them, “What are you looking for?” It is a question that probes the depth of their being. The fact that they had already been for some time disciples of John the Baptist indicates something of their humble search for renewal through repentance, not afraid of the austerities that such a life involves. They must have experienced the purification of intention and indeed the joy of putting God first.
Now this Lamb, whose way the Baptist has prepared, examines what their hearts long for. They respond, “Where are you staying?” Another way of translating this question is, “Where do you remain/abide?” The evangelist fills in the significance of this term later in his Gospel through eucharistic overtones: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (6:56; cf. 15:1-11; 1 Jn 4:10-16). Jesus’ response provides an invitation, “Come, and you will see.” Jesus longs to share with us his abode; he longs to stay with us. He yearns for hearts prepared to welcome him.
With this first issue of The Catholic Spirit in the new year, let us ponder again where we are and let Jesus examine our hearts with his potent question, which meets us in our particular context: “What are you looking for?”
How can the austerities (material, relational, spiritual, etc.) experienced in the last year prepare us to welcome him to abide in our hearts in this new year? What sort of response is indicated by our lived priorities (i.e., what we in fact do each day or how we spend our time, not how we should do so or would like to do so)? Do these lived priorities manifest a desire to abide with Jesus? What is one concrete way we can improve our prayer life? How might Jesus be inviting us to reach out to a neighbor (cf. Lk 10:29-37) in creative ways?
So much hope and desired relief has been expressed for 2021, but much more is to be gained if we can see Jesus inviting us to deeper communion through the context in which we find ourselves. With an open heart and a will purified through austerity, we too will be ready to abide with the Lamb.
Father Carl is vice rector of The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul and assistant sacramental minister to the Latino community at St. Odilia in Shoreview. He can be reached at smcarl@stthomas.edu.
Sunday, Jan. 17
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
