GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Jan. 14, 05 Second Sunday (A)
When I teach a catechumnate, I wince at the words: “If you want to be
a Christian, you have to “study the doctrine.” Yes, we study the
teachings of Jesus but the purpose of the catechumenate is to develop a loving
personal relationship between the catechumen and our Lord. We also commit ourselves
to have this relationship with Him present in the Christian community.
To appreciate today’s gospel and its message for us, we tell a little
story. Rebecca works in a large office. Mr. Hui is the boss. He is also an important
person in Hong Kong society. The employees don’t know him that well. Although
he is fair and honest, the employees keep their distance. The relationship between
Rebecca and Mr. Hui is that of employer-employee.
One day Rebecca gets seriously ill and is admitted to the hospital. By coincidence
Mr. Hui is visiting his mother in the same hospital. From then on whenever he
visits his mother, Mr. Hui visits Rebecca. They soon become friends. The relationship-
between Rebecca is now friend-to-friend. She now knows Mr. Hui in a new way.
{I think you know where this leading.) They fall in love and marry. During their
marriage there relationship grows and deepen. There is so much to know about
each other. This is a new kind of relationship. This is a deepening of the relationship.
Yes, husband and wife. Throughout their lives Rebecca and Mr. Hui know each
other better and better.
WORD OF GOD
“The next day when John caught sight of Jesus coming
toward him, he exclaimed:
‘Look…’”
[NAB]
Each day John the Baptist went to the river Jordan. There he would preach to
crowds of people. He would warn his listeners to change their lives and prepare
for the coming of the Messiah. And many of his listeners determined to repent
and prepare themselves to meet the Messiah. As sign of their repentance they
asked John for Baptism. This was a symbol that they repented of their sins and
wanted them to be washed away.
Jesus and John were cousins. John the Baptist family lived near Jerusalem whereas
the Holy Family lived in Nazareth about 96 miles north from Jerusalem. And we
presume that Mary, Joseph and Jesus would make a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem
to celebrate the feast of the Passover. And when they were in Jerusalem they
certainly visited with Elizabeth, Zachary and John. Although the gospel doesn’t
say so it is likely that Jesus and John would play together. As they grew older
they would share their dreams, their plans and their joys.
In today’s gospel John “caught sight” of Jesus. He certainly
recognized Jesus as his childhood companion. But also he said in the passage:”
I confess I did not recognize him…” But today the Holy Spirit tells
John marvelous things about his cousin. The Holy Spirit invites John to live
out these new relationships.
John shouted to the crowds: “There is the lamb of God who takes away the
sins of the world.” John recognized Jesus as his Savior. Next he recognizes
his relationship- with his cousin Jesus is “a man who ranks ahead of me,
because he was before me.” He began to see that Jesus was more than a
good man. He was the Son of God. And the Holy Spirit gave testimony that Jesus
was the person whom he said he was. What a change in the relationship of John
with Jesus.
To John, Jesus was his cousin…perhaps his childhood companion…later
when Jesus began his public ministry Jesus was John’s partner in building
God’s Kingdom on earth.
Now John recognized Jesus in a new way. Suddenly John recognized Jesus the Messiah—the
one who came to save the world including John the Baptist. For the first time
John saw Jesus as his Savior. For the first time John saw Jesus as the Paschal
Lamb who would sacrifice himself for all including John the Baptist. For the
first time John recognized Jesus as the Son of God who came to share divine
life with the world including John the Baptist.
RESPONSE We were baptized not because we mastered the catechism and at exam
time passed the catechumate exam. Rather we committed ourselves to loving relationship
with Jesus our Savior. We committed ourselves to nurture this relationship.
Throughout our lives, in good times and bad, we promised to be true to him and
to continue to deepen this relationship through our lives. Throughout our lives,
we wish to learn more about this friend.
As children we saw Jesus as an elder brother. As we grew older we saw Jesus
as our companion. Now that we are old we may see Jesus as our younger brother.
We received Baptism because we put our Faith in Jesus. We or through our godparents
and family, we committed ourselves to be Jesus’ loyal friends. Each of
us had some images in our mind. Perhaps it was a follower and leader relationship.
Sometimes we may have experienced Jesus as a comforter. We had many images of
Jesus in our minds. For some it meant From then on
This morning we ask ourselves: Do I have as loving a relationship with Jesus
as I did when I was baptized? How has my relationship with Jesus changed over
the years?
What are the ways of nurturing our loving relationship with Jesus? 1) Spend
some time with Him each day even if neither of you has anything new to say that
day. 2) Read a passage from the gospels to discover the kind of person Jesus
is. 3) Whatever we are doing, do it with the Lord.
HOMILY NOTES AND STUFF
DATE \@ "MMM. d, yy" Jan. 14, 05 Second Sunday (A)
TEXT: “The next day when John caught sight of Jesus coming toward him,
he exclaimed: ‘Look…’”
ONE WORD: Seeing
TWO WORDS: Seeing Jesus
TOPIC SENTENCE: Jesus challenges us to see him more deeply, more intimately,
more lovingly.
DESIRED RESULT: Father, your homily made me examine my knowledge of Jesus. I
saw him as a younger brother instead of as an older brother.
CHURCH TEACHING: “To catechize is to ‘reveal in the Person of Christ
the whole of God’s eternal design reaching fulfillment in that Person.’
…Catechesis aims at putting people…in communion with Christ…’”
[Catectissi tradendae: 5] [CT]TIDBITS: I didn’t do any from September
12 04, till this homily. A broken arm, a fever and a skin problem.
I’LL BE HAPPY IF AT LEAST THEY REMEMBER We have a special loving relationship
with Jesus. The relation can constantly deepen.
Ue4 kwoh2 ngooh5 dei6 sheung yan sheung2 kam yat6 ke3
fuk yam, ngoh5 dei6 hoh2 i5 ts’it3 ho2 kaan2 daan ke3 pei2 ue6. Ah3 yingt
hai2 yat kaan ho2 daai6 ke baan6 shi6 ch’ue3 tso6 pei6 sue. Hui SS tsau6
hai6 lo5 baan2. K’ui% chi2 hai6 35 sui3 taai6 ke3. K’ui5 sheung
dong leng3. Paan6 shi6 ch’ue3 ke3 nui5 si6 i5 wai4 k’ui5 hai6 yat
ho2 catchl. K’ui5 to hai6 hai2 hk se5 ooi6 yat koh3 big shot ho2 daai6
nap lo5. K’ui5 to pong choh6 ho2 doh se5 ooi6 charitable works.
Hui SS t_ ah3 ying mui5 yat6 kong2 do6 ki2 fan chung yau5 kwaan koh2 yat6 kung
tsok3 ke si6. Th Ah3 ying mo5 kei ooi6 t’ung4 KI’ui5 k’ing
taam4 ha5. K’ui5 dei6 ke3 kwaan hai6 tsau6 lo5 baant’ung4 kung yan4
ke kwaan hai6.
Sa0205 DATE \@ "MMM. d, yy" Jan. 14, 05 Second Sunday (A) John:1-29-34
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