5th January, Friday
1 John 3:11-21 / John 1:43-51
Jesus meets Nathanael; Philip says, "Come and see for yourself."
Thomas Huxley was a well-known British biologist and atheist who lived toward the end of the last century. One day he asked a man of simple, deep faith, "What does Jesus mean to you?" The man hesitated, saying, "You're an educated man, and you can easily disclaim whatever I say." But Huxley assured the man, "I didn't ask you to argue with you." So, the man proceeded to tell him. After the man was finished, Huxley said, "I'd give my right hand for your faith in Jesus."
***
How would we answer Huxley's question? To the blind, Jesus
is sight. To the weak, he is strength. To the ignorant, he is truth. To the
hungry, he is bread. To the dead, he is life.
***
Today, we
hear Jesus call several of his apostles: “Come, follow me,” he says, and they
follow him. They recognize him as their Savior, the Son of God. From now on
they will not only have to accept his word but also to live as he lived.
This is why
the reading from John’s letter fits in very well: the life of the Christian
must be marked by love, for Jesus gave his life for us. Love is not a theory or
a mere sentiment but an experience of commitment.
***
In the beginning there was love. In the end there will still
be love. In between however, love will put to the test in order to see if it
will stand the test of time. The first test came about when Eve was tempted and
both she and Adam failed in the test of love. From then on, love was
continually tested with Cain cutting his brother Abel's throat, as the 1st
reading recalled. But we don't have to cut someone's throat in order to kill or
murder someone. That's also too gruesome for us to do it.
The 1st reading puts it starkly in the reality of life - to
hate your brother is to be a murderer. It also reminds us that our love is not
be just words or mere talk, but something real and active. God is love and His
love is eternal, and He has created us in love and calls us to love. We must
believe that only love will stand the test of time, whilst everything else will
come and go. And when we come face to face with the God of love, may we offer
Him hearts that are filled with loving acts for our neighbours.
***
Prayer
Lord, our
God, when we do not know what to do or how to live, you refer us to the living
example of Jesus, your Son. Help us to learn from him, not in theory but in
practice, what it means to love. Give us the courage to follow him by opening
with him our hearts to our brothers and sisters and in giving ourselves to them
in life and in death by the strength of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord forever.
***
Feast day January 5
As a boy, John Neumann lived in Bohemia, which is now part
of Czech Republic. He studied hard, for he wanted to be a missionary priest in
America. By the time he was twenty-four, he had learned six languages and had
completed his studies for the priesthood. He was not ordained, however, because
his bishop thought there were enough priests in his country. So John Neumann
decided to leave for America, hoping to be ordained there. He said goodbye to
his parents and brother and sailed for the United States. When he arrived, he
had one suit of clothes and one dollar in his pocket. Three weeks later, the
bishop of New York ordained him.
Father John’s first work was with the German-speaking people
in mission parishes near Buffalo, New York. He was not considered very
handsome, and some people disliked him and his ways. Priests at that time
traveled on horseback and went long distances to care for people in neighboring
towns and villages. People laughed at the clumsy way Father John rode. Because
he was short, his feet did not reach the stirrups. Children made fun of him.
John remained silent, however, and continued going about teaching religion,
visiting the sick, and training teachers.
Father John felt the need for community life, so he entered
the Redemptorist Order. He was the first Redemptorist to make vows in the
United States. He became the superior of the American branch of the order. When
Father John was forty-one years old, he became the fourth bishop of
Philadelphia. Still, some people did not welcome him. They did not care for his
accent and his plain style. Besides these people, John had to deal with an
anti-Catholic group that was burning convents and schools. Because John felt he
wasn’t capable of doing his job, he asked for a smaller diocese, but he was
told to stay.
John started Catholic schools in his diocese, for he believed it was very
important for children to be educated and taught the ways of Jesus. In eight
years Philadelphia’s two Catholic schools grew to one hundred schools. John
brought many teaching orders to his diocese. He published two catechisms and
many articles.
Bishop John Neumann died of a heart attack while he was
walking down the street.
Throughout his life, John Neumann went about his work quietly and humbly. No special honors were given him. He was even unpopular. Only after his death did people begin to talk about their humble, good bishop who worked so hard for God.
