Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Fr Dominic’s Homily

This conversation we hear between Jesus and the two disciples seems very simple:

Jesus asks: “What do you want?”
The disciples answer “Where do you live?”
So Jesus says: “Come and see.”

This conversation is so ordinary that you wonder why John ever included it in his gospel.

It sounds at first a bit like someone who is annoyed by some people who are trying to follow him - who then try to ask for his address. However, when you listen to it again you realise that actually it’s an incredibly profound discussion.

“What do you want?” Is actually one of the deepest questions you can ask someone. It’s the fundamental question.

“What—really, down deep—are we seeking in our life? What is your deepest driving factor? What are your greatest concerns? What sufferings do you want relief from right now- physically, emotionally, spiritually or psychologically? What do you need to be free from that is holding you back in life?

Jesus asks each one of us the same question right now: "What do we want? What are we searching for? Do you want to know the true meaning and purpose of your life?"

Only God of course can answer these questions for us and make our purpose fully known to us. That’s why Jesus invites the disciples to come and stay with him and why he wants us to draw closer to him.

He wants us to know him personally: to know what he came to do for us and what he wants to offer us. To know ultimately why he brought us into this world.

“Where are you staying?” is what the disciples want to know. The word translated as “stay,” means something deeper than simply “what is your address?” It refers to a person’s source of being and ultimate purpose. In other words “Where do you come from, Master? What is the source of your life? Who, really, are you?”

And Jesus responds: “Come and see” which, when you know the whole story really means: “Follow me as a committed disciple and you will truly see, understand and believe in a whole new way of life.”

And of course where does Jesus really live? Close to the Fathers heart. That’s where he wants us to be and it’s where we need to be but we need eyes of faith to realise this.

"Come and see" is the Lord's invitation for each one of us to discover the peace and joy of knowing the Father.

Remember that it is God who always initiates things and who draws us to himself because we need his help.

So here Jesus invites the two disciples into his company. He did not wait for them to deliberate. He encourages them to find out for themselves. So the two disciples decide to take a risk.

They could have said “No, Jesus, thanks anyway. You’re ok. We’re good. We’ve got a busy day, we’ve got stuff to do..” but instead they choose to spend the rest of the day with Jesus and then realise who he really is.

The next day Andrew brought his brother to meet Jesus in person so he could "come and see" for himself.  It’s good to hear news all about someone but a personal encounter with them is so much better. Remember that ultimately faith is always caught rather than taught.

When Jesus looked at Simon he revealed that he already knew who he was and where he came from. He then gave Simon a new name which signified that God had a personal call and mission for him.

Jesus gave Simon the name "Cephas" which is the Aramaic word for "rock". To call someone a "rock" was a great compliment in those days.

Faith in Jesus Christ makes us all into rocks or spiritual stones. This is what makes up the very foundation of the Church.

So let us ask Jesus to encourage us to draw closer to him so that we can risk having a personal encounter with him to get to know him better.

In that way we can be dawn closer to the Father’s heart where we can receive the true answer to all our questions and the fulfilment of all our needs and desires so that we can then experience life to the full.