Come And See
Introduction
It is quite likely that Nathaniel of today’s Gospel is the same person as the apostle Bartholomew. If so, he was an open and honest man, “in whom there was no deceit,” as Jesus said. And we are called and meant to be identical: open, honest, devoid of deceit.
1 Reading: Revelations 21:9-14
The angel spoke to me, saying: “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendour of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145:10-11,12-13,17-18
R. Your friends make known, O Lord,
the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord,
the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord,
the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord,
the glorious splendour of your Kingdom.
Gospel Reading: John 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one that Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets as well: he is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree and I saw you.” Nathanael answered, “Master, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said: ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that. Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Commentary
We know nothing of Bartholomew except his name and so we hear of the calling of the apostles in John. Each one who sees Jesus, goes and finds another to tell about the discovery and brings him back as another follower. That is at the core of missionary enterprise. Go everywhere and bring them in, for the banquet is ready (cf. Matt 22:9). Who told Bartholomew? Did Jesus call him personally? How did he become part of the inner circle of twelve? How are we called? Who was that agent? Who calls us? Who do we call to come and see, to meet Jesus? How many have we called? The vision of the city of God in Revelation describes what will be – the fullness of the kingdom that was entrusted to the apostles. It is now entrusted to us, that we may bring it to earth. We are to be followers of the Lamb of God, the Crucified and Risen One who is the Saviour of all the peoples of the world.
Blessing
What a great honour if the Lord can call us a true person, someone in whom there is no deceit! May almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!