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Jesus Meets Us Right Where We Are
Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels 2022 John 1:47-51 An encounter of mercy, the type of encounter for which we all long… Philip says to Nathanael, his brother or like unto a brother, We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth. Nathanael responds, Can anything good come from Nazareth? The question was an honest one, “no deceit”, not one riddled with cynicism. Jesus’ name and lineage are consistent with the prophecies. The place, however? Nazareth? The prophet Micah says, And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of you a ruler will come forth, who will rule my people Israel. Philip, far from discouraged, but rather moved by Nathanael’s question, invites Nathanael to experience: Come and see. As if to say, also, Jesus is amazing beyond words. In his question and in his going to Jesus, as Saint John Chrysostom (+407, early Church Father, Archbishop of Constantinople—now Istanbul), suggests, Nathanael showed his strong desire for Christ’s coming. Jesus likes honest seeking! Then, Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ In their encounter, Christ draws Nathanael to the faith, not by miracles, but by making known things which are hidden. A three-fold revelation:
When you were sitting under the fig tree, i.e., under the shadow of sin, before you were called to grace, I saw you, with the eye of mercy. A revelation that converts Nathanael’s heart, leading him to words of praise: Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Jesus intends, always, further to share Himself, God, including by the angels. Bless the Lord, you angels of his, you mighty ones who do his bidding. (today’s Psalm 103:20). Speaking of angels, on this feast of Saint Michael, the Archangel, and All Angels, (celebrated since the early Church) Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, French monk, theologian, poet, died in 1153, says: We should show our affection for the angels, for one day they will be our co-heirs just as here below they are our guardians and trustees appointed and set over us by the Father. How easily we forget these invisible companions… Jesus meets us right where we are. An encounter of mercy, the type of encounter for which we all long… How we long for Jesus to know and hold our tired, perhaps broken, or happy hearts. He does. How we long for Jesus to see our complex past. He does. How we long for Jesus to promise that He will reveal more of Himself to us, further opening the treasures of His love to us. He does. In a few moments, Jesus will meet Elizabeth Askonas anew, right where she is, unaware of what is happening, with her heart open, however, not by deliberate choice, but by virtue of her childhood. The parents and godparents choose for her. That is how the mystical Body of Christ, the Church works. Her Baptism testifies to the unconditional nature of encounter with Christ. Jesus doesn’t come only when we choose him as our personal Lord and Savior. He comes before we choose, in response to the many cries of our heart. An choosing Him is a gift of grace, that opens the door more widely and deepens the intimacy. Jesus always takes the initiative: You did not choose me but I chose you. (John 15:16) Not that we loved God but that he loved us. (I John 4:10) An encounter of mercy, the type of encounter for which we all long… Comments are closed.
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