In Deed and Truth

January 5, 2013

Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.  Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God.  1 John 3:18-21

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”  But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”  Philip said to him, “Come and see.”  John 1:45-46

 

Piety

Father, help me overcome my provincialism and take from out of my comfort zone.  Jesus, help me to accept the challenge of change presented by the encounter I have with you today.  Holy Spirit, guide my attitude and action as I respond with my whole heart to the call in words, in deeds and in truth.  Amen.

Study

Nathanael's initial reaction to what Philip reported to him was, shall we say, less than apostolic.  “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”  Lowly, simply dirty evil Nazareth.  Backwater Nazareth.  The sticks.  It's almost as if Nazareth was the joke-of-the day city like we sometimes picture Cleveland/New Jersey/Fill-in-theBlank. 

Nathanael is prepared to dismiss Phillip without even hearing him out.  He would prefer to maintain the status quo of his stereotypes.  Because if not, he will have to change.  The world that he knows is bound to change once he is open to the encounter that is about to occur.  His skepticism attempts to guard him against coming out of his comfort zone to encounter Jesus.  In the end, he makes the decision to accept the challenge of the action required after this "epiphany."

Phillip does not try to convince him in words. He encourages his brother to come and see for himself.  Experiential change is easier to accept than just hearing the message.

Action

Can anything good come from Fairfax?  Or Falls Church?  Or Muncie, Indiana?  Or Sugar Land, Texas? 

Can anything good come out of Washington or Wall Street?  Or the Gaza Strip?  Or Baghdad?  Or Pittsburgh? 

Like Nathanael, what do we do AFTER we encounter Jesus?  That is what the Christmas encounter is all about.  Mary did not stop with her yes.  She lived that yes every day from the Annunciation to the Resurrection and beyond. 

Our faith that she inspires is not a one-legged stool.  We get stability by salting our lives with the piety, study and action.  So challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone to  "come and see" and be changed just like Nathanael was almost 2,000 years ago.