Where Are You Staying?

January 4, 2012

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

By Colleen O'Sullivan

Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous… (N)o one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:7, 10b)

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter. (John 1:35-42)

Piety

One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek:

To dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,

To gaze on the Lord’s beauty, to visit his temple.

(Psalm 27:4)

Study

Today both of our Scripture readings focus on discipleship. In John’s Gospel, we see Jesus gathering his first disciples. In the First Letter of John, we are told that once we have become disciples, our lives will be forever changed. Our actions and our relationships with others will reflect our beliefs. Others will know we are Christians by the manner in which we conduct ourselves and the loving way we interact with our brothers and sisters.

Action

Every day, many times a day, we cross paths with Jesus. He’s in our bedrooms, ready to greet us when we get up in the morning. He’s standing there while you’re making your kids’ lunches for school and getting them out the door to the school bus. He’s there as we go about our work all day long. He’s at the table with us when we eat dinner with our families. Jesus is at all those after-school and evening activities – sports practices, Girl/Boy Scouts meetings, church activities, etc. Jesus is there as we fall into bed at the end of day. Take time to reflect back over your day. When and where did you see the Lord today? If you think you didn’t, look harder, because Jesus is there.

The Lord asks you and me the same question he asked his first two would-be disciples - what are you looking for? What is it you seek from me? That may surprise us, because often we think God is the one always telling us what he wants from us, but the Lord truly wants to know what is in our hearts. Share your deepest desires with him today in prayer.

Those first two disciples answered Jesus’ question by saying they wanted to see where he was staying. What Jesus had to show them and us wasn’t his mother’s home or his friends’ Mary and Martha’s house or any other piece of real estate. It was a relationship he wanted to share. Wherever Jesus was, he lived in communion with his Father. His Father was his dwelling place. That’s where he wants us to live as well. When you are praying, try echoing the words of the psalmist: “One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life.”