2000 năm trước, Na-xa-rét có thể là một ngôi làng nhỏ và có thể không tên trên bản đồ. Đó là lý do tại sao Na-tha-na-ên đã có ấn tượng đầu tiên coi thường Chúa Giêsu, ông coi Chúa Giêsu không có gì là người quan trọng vì Chúa đến từ ngôi làng nhỏ bé Na-xa-rét. Nhưng khi đã gặp Chúa Giêsu, Nathanael mới thay đổi thái độ và kính phục Chúa.
Bài đọc thứ nhất hôm nay, Thánh Gioan nhắc nhở chúng ta hay nên yêu thương mọi người, đừng nên như Cain chỉ vì ghen tương mà đã giết chết em mình, Cain là kẻ giết người, nhưng thánh Gioan lại nói: "Kẻ nào có lòng dạ ghen ghét, thì kẻ đó là kẻ giết người" không khác gì Cain, lòng thù hận rất dễ đưa chúng ta đến tội ác.
Hãy Thương yêu anh em như Thiên Chúa đã thương yêu chúng ta, Ngài đã đem Chúa Giêsu con một của Ngài xuống thế gian này để chết vì tội lỗi của chúng ta, Chúng ta hãy học gương tha thứ như Chúa Giêsu đã tha thứ và nhờ Ngài, Chúa Thánh Thần sẽ giúp chúng ta biết quên hết hận thù và chỉ còn có sự tha thứ.
2000 years ago, Nazareth might be a small village and It was often not even labeled on maps. That is why Nathanael had the first impression Jesus could not be an important person because he came from small village of Nazareth. It was only when Jesus spoke to Nathanael that he got impressed.
- Whether we are aware of it or not, we tend to discriminate or judge people on how they look or where they come from. Many wars have been fought because one group didn't like the color of the skin of another. In our daily lives we sometimes look down on those who may not be as articulate in their speech or who cannot afford to look as clean as we are.
In his First Letter John tells us to love one another not only in words but in deeds. We should love each other like we would like to be loved. John directs our attention to Cain who killed his brother. He contrasts Cain with Jesus Christ who laid down his life for us. "The way we came to understand love" John writes, "was that Jesus laid down his life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."
Cain was a murderer. John insists that anyone who hates his brothers and sisters is a murderer. And, he says, eternal life does not abide in a murderer's heart. - John takes a hard-nosed, realistic view of the spiritual life as he says: "I ask you," he questions, "how can God's love survive in a man who has enough of this world's goods, yet closes his heart to his brother when he sees him in need?" He urges us, "Let us love in deed and in truth and not merely talk about it."
Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” John 1:43–45
Recall that in the previous passage of John’s Gospel, Andrew had gone to his brother Peter to tell him that he had found the Messiah. As a result, Peter went to see Jesus and also became His disciple. We have a similar story in today’s Gospel passage that happens shortly after the story in John’s Gospel. After Jesus called Philip to be a disciple, Philip immediately went to find his brother, Nathanael, to tell him the good news. As a result, once Nathanael has a brief encounter with Jesus, Nathanael converts, saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
In a sense, we can say that conversion is contagious. Once God calls a good and humble soul to follow Him and that soul responds, that person is almost always compelled to share their conversion with others whom they love. And when they share the conversion of their heart with another, their loved one will often become intrigued themselves, possibly even converting.
Conversion is indeed contagious! This is because when we come to know God, fall in love with Him and choose to follow Him, the joy and conviction of our conversion of heart are things we naturally want to share with others. We want others to experience the spiritual peace and joy we have found by discovering Christ with us.
So this begs the question: Has your love of God affected others in your life? If the answer is “Yes,” then this is something to be grateful for. But if the answer is “No,” then perhaps it’s worth pondering why not. Though it may not at all be your fault, it’s good to examine whether you have first allowed yourself to truly experience a deep conversion to Christ and then to ponder whether you have been open to sharing your heart with others.
So begin with the first question. Have you allowed yourself to truly go through a conversion to Christ? A conversion will take on varying degrees. At first, a conversion changes the direction of our lives by opening our eyes to see what truly matters in life. We discover the glory of God and the fulfillment that comes from embracing His will. When this happens, the initially converted soul will often begin to turn from all serious sin, to pray, to read the Scriptures, and to manifest these changes to others.
But conversions are not only a one-time event. Saint John of the Cross, for example, goes to much length to explain that as a person advances in the life of holiness, there will be a time when they must go through a whole new conversion. Their following of Christ will draw them to another and more profound change in life. Don’t be content with only an initial conversion. Seek also the ongoing process of change that is required by a commitment to follow Christ.
As for the second question, whether or not your own conversion has inspired those you love to follow Christ, simply pray that God uses you as He wills. Be open to Him, do not be afraid to share your heart, and work to allow the joy of following Christ to radiate from your own life. If others are open, then God will touch them through you.
Reflect, today, upon these two fundamental questions of the spiritual life and recommit yourself to a lifelong process of change, as well as an openness to allowing God to touch others through you. In the end, these two things are all that really matters in life and for eternity.
Lord of all holiness, please continuously draw me closer to You. Help me to convert in my life, to turn from all sin and to choose to follow You with all my heart. Help me, also, to be open in my faith journey so that others will see all that You are doing in me and receive Your invitation, through me, to follow You. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord, today I contemplate your first encounters with your Apostles. You called them and they responded. Like them, I want to encounter you today and respond to your call.
1. Jacob the Deceiver: To understand Jesus’ words about Nathanael being a true Israelite and about the heavens opening, we need to look at the Old Testament and the story of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham and the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. First, Jacob was known as a trickster and deceiver. He was born grasping the heel of his older twin brother Esau. In fact, the name Jacob means “he grasps” and this can mean “he deceives” like the English phrase “he’s pulling your leg.” When he was older, Jacob convinced Esau to hand over the rights of the firstborn for a bowl of lentils. Jacob also covered himself in wool to deceive his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing reserved for the firstborn son. Jacob’s name will be changed to Israel, which means “the man who strives with God.” And so, when Jesus sees Nathanael, he says that he is a true child of Israel and that there is no duplicity or deceit in him, unlike the patriarch Jacob in his youth.
2. Jacob’s Ladder: The second reference to Jacob in our Gospel is to the dream that Jacob had of the angels of God ascending and descending a ladder connecting earth to heaven. Jacob named the place “Bethel,” which means “House of God.” Jesus alludes to Jacob’s dream and tells Nathanael that he will see greater things than Jesus’ demonstration of supernatural knowledge.
Conversing with Christ: Lord, I cry out with joy to you. I want to serve you joyfully. What is it that you ask of me? How can I serve you today? You made me and I am yours. I am a member of your flock and look forward to the day I can enter the gates of heaven to praise you for all eternity. You are good; you are faithful. Help me to be good today and respond to you with fidelity.
Resolution: One thing we should strive to do is rid ourselves of any duplicity and hypocrisy. A hypocrite is two-faced. They put on an outward show and do everything to appear righteous and holy, but inside they are full of corruption. There is no place for hypocrisy in the Christian life. Like Nathanael, who passed from the shadow of the fig tree into the light of Christ, we also need to move from the darkness and hypocrisy of sin into the light of truth and righteousness.
Nazareth in Jesus time was a small backwater village. It was often not even labeled on maps. Hence Nathanael had the first impression Jesus could not be an important person because he came from Nazareth. It was only when Jesus spoke to Nathanael that he got impressed. Whether we are aware of it or not, we tend to discriminate or judge people on how they look or where they come from. Many wars have been fought because one group didn't like the color of the skin of another. In our daily lives we sometimes look down on those who may not be as articulate in their speech or who cannot afford to look as clean as we are.
John in his First Letter tells us to love one another not only in words but in deeds. We should love each other like we would love our brothers and sisters-no preconceived notions or first impressions as obstacles. We should build our love to the extent that we are willing to die for one another. For when we reach this level of unselfish love, we have become true Christians and Jesus' mission of salvation for you and me would be attained.
We look around this neither hood and in our own country and see the vast majority of our people living in poverty. But let us look at ourselves rather than at our leaders. "I ask you, how can God's love survive in a man who has enough of this world's goods, yet closes his heart to his brother when he sees him in need?
Let us love in deed and in truth and not merely talk about it." John says, "The man who does not love is among the living dead."
PRAYER
"Heavenly Father, through your Son Jesus Christ, you have opened the way to heaven for us. As you revealed yourself to your beloved Patriarchs and Apostles, so reveal yourself to me that I may glorify
you in my daily life. May I always find joy in your presence and never lose sight of the kingdom of heaven."
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