Lectionary # 208. Second Sun after Christmas

Scripture: I John 3:7-10. Psalm 98:1.7-8.9. John 1:35-42 Our calling in life can be reflected upon today. The Fourth Gospel narrates the call of the first three disciples (apostles) with Andrew being the first who summons his brother Simon Peter, then a third is unnamed. The first two are Andrew and this unnamed disciple; Peter joins them at the invitation of Andrew. John the Baptist prepared the first two for his revelatory announcement: "Behold! the lamb of God (or servant) who takes away the sin of the world." They respond and follow Jesus and remain with him for a day. Their first commitment to their vocation is like ours--we are not sure what the future will bring in our choice of marriage, single life, religious life, priesthood or a professional single life. It will grow by stages and become a part of our identity and our life journey. Like the first three whom both the Baptist prepared and Jesus as well, it is a choice and a grace that remains to be totally fulfilled. John the Baptist prepared the first two and often in our life it is persons and events that help us make that important choice of what to do and how to live out our lives. Vocation is a universal call but becomes specific once we follow someone's advice or insight about where we would do best with who we are and what we have as talents. Like the three called the rest will follow day by day and year after year. Perhaps our first call will endure till our last day on earth. We may wonder why one of the disciples is unnamed. It seems to be a subtle thread that is part of the Gospel of John. The "beloved disciple" will go unnamed even at the end of this Gospel but he will attest and witness to Jesus just as he had learned from his first master John the Baptist. Early Christian theologians and leaders will associate the unnamed one as John the Evangelist. Like the subtle thread this could be a historical fact and in tradition the Gospel has always been seen as started by the one known as the beloved disciple of John. The scholarly commentators cannot make such a statement, but their speculations are not much better than the tradition; sometimes they are rather amusing! Like Irenaeus and Origen who think it to be the Evangelist John, the Marianist Congregations of brothers, sisters, and priests and thousands of lay persons try to remember the scene at the foot of the Cross and see Mary the Mother of Jesus and the Disciple John there next to each other not separated by the cross. Here is the prayer that contains the mention of John the Beloved Disciple. The lines in italics are the ones pertaining to him: Lord Jesus, we gather at the foot of the Cross with your mother and the disciple whom you loved. We ask your pardon for our sins which are the cause of your death. We thank you for remembering us in that hour of salvation and for having given us Mary as our Mother. Holy Virgin take us under your protection and open us to the action of the Holy Spirit. Saint John obtain for us the grace of taking Mary into our life as you did and of assisting her in her mission. May the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified in all places through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen. (The prayer was not written by a Marianist but by a Carmelite).