Come and See

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Deacon Thomas Stephenson

January 14, 2018

Today is the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. So, we might wonder, what happened to the First Sunday? We celebrated Epiphany last Sunday, and although we usually observe the Baptism of the Lord on the First Sunday of Ordinary Time, because Christmas was on a Monday, it affected the feasts following Christmas, so the Baptism of the Lord was moved to this past Monday. That’s why we are now at the Second Sunday. And, is Ordinary Time called that because it is not Lent, the Easter Season, Advent, or Christmas? If we remember our elementary school math, there are three types of numbers: cardinal, ordinal, and nominal. The ones we are concerned with are ordinals: first, second third, and so on. So, although ordinary time may be, well, ordinary, it is called that mostly because of how we number the Sundays. Another thing for us to keep in mind is that, although ordinary time has just started, Lent is only a month away, so let’s begin to think about how we want to make this upcoming Lenten season a time of spiritual growth.

In today’s Gospel, we heard John’s account of Jesus calling His disciples; next week, we will hear the version from the Gospel of Mark. The two versions do not contradict but rather complement each other; they appear to refer to two different events. The one we heard today may better be described as Jesus meeting His disciples; the one we hear next week is more about when they are actually called to leave everything and become followers of Jesus. (expand)

We may find the conversation between Jesus and the two disciples of John the Baptist a little unusual. Once John has pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, Andrew and John (the other disciple) immediately leave John the Baptist and follow after Jesus. When Jesus realizes that they are behind Him, He asks them what they are looking for. What do they tell Him? Their response is actually another question, “where are you staying?” We can be sure that is not all they want to know, but they are curious to know more about Jesus, and this is their simple way of trying to learn what they could. It must have been difficult in that situation to even know what to say to Jesus. Then, Jesus simply replies, “Come and see”.

Come and See. Jesus doesn’t force these two disciples of John the Baptist to follow Him. He doesn’t even try to persuade them. Instead, He invites them; He allows them to spend time with Him, to get to know Him. Jesus is also inviting us to spend time with Him, to get to know Him. He wants to show us where He stays, where He abides – with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Before going further with that, let’s take a look at Samuel in our first reading. We find Samuel lying down in the temple. At that time, the temple was basically a large tent in Hebron, about twenty miles south of Jerusalem. He is sleeping near the Ark of the Covenant – he was keeping close to the Lord. He heard his name being called, yet it wasn’t until the fourth time that Samuel understood it was the Lord calling him. Samuel heard the voice of the Lord calling him; he heard it in the silence of the temple, and when he heard it, he responded immediately.

Samuel reacted to the voice of the Lord, and the disciples left John the Baptist and followed Jesus, without hesitation. Can we say that we do the same? We are all followers of Jesus, or we wouldn’t be here – but how are we responding to His voice, to His invitation? Are we even hearing Him?

Samuel wanted to be with the Lord. The disciples wanted to be with Jesus. It is important for us, too, to want to be with Jesus. We need to desire to be with Him, and when we express that desire, He asks all of us to come and see. We can be with Him whenever we pray, or whenever we take some time to read and study His word, to learn the teachings of the Church. And no matter how long we have been with Him, following Him and learning about Him, there is always more to discover. In order for our time with Him to be fruitful, for us to hear what He has to say to us, we need to cultivate a level of silence and eliminate distractions. That especially includes electronic devices, which demand our attention. Our situation may not allow us complete quiet, but we can make an effort to make our environment as peaceful as possible, if even for a short time. The less noise we hear, the fewer things that interfere with our concentration, the better we will be able to listen to His voice, and focus on the Lord and what He wants for us.

But silence is more than just the absence of noise. In his book The Power of Silence, Cardinal Sarah says: “A silent man is all the more apt to listen and to stand in the presence of God… Silence, in important moments of life, becomes a vital necessity. But we do not seek silence for its own sake, as though it were our goal. We seek silence because we seek God. And we will find it if we are silent in the very depths of our heart.”

Although it is easier to hear Him in silence, it is not always necessary, and noise is not an excuse for not listening to Him. God will be with us, even in all the commotion and busyness of our day, if we keep Him in first in mind. Where is Jesus staying? In the depths our hearts, He can stay with us and we with Him. So let us pray for times of silence to place ourselves more fully in His presence, and to accept His invitation to come and see.