Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious
Lectionary: 207
Reading 1
1 John 3:7-10
Children, let no one deceive you.
The person who acts in righteousness is righteous,
just as he is righteous.
Whoever sins belongs to the Devil,
because the Devil has sinned from the beginning.
Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the Devil.
No one who is begotten by God commits sin,
because God’s seed remains in him;
he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
In this way,
the children of God and the children of the Devil are made plain;
no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God,
nor anyone who does not love his brother.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9
R. (3cd) All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
The LORD comes;
he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Alleluia
Hebrews 1:1-2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets:
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 1:35-42
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.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflection
Come, and You Will See
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. John 1:38–39
What an interesting exchange. Andrew was one of two disciples of John the Baptist who heard John say that Jesus was the “Lamb of God.” As a result, Andrew and the other disciple left the Baptist and started to physically follow Jesus. As they began to follow Jesus, He turned to them and asked them what they were looking for. And their response, followed by Jesus’ invitation, is recorded above.
Jesus’ invitation was unique: “Come, and you will see.” With that invitation, these two disciples went and remained with Jesus that day. But that’s not all that happened. It is clear from the subsequent passage that by spending the day with Jesus, these two disciples came to faith in Who Jesus was. Later in the passage, Andrew goes to his brother Peter to tell him, “We have found the Messiah.” What was it about their day with Jesus that convinced them of Who He was?
Though the details of their stay with Jesus are not included in the Gospel, it seems clear that simply being in Jesus’ presence is all that these disciples need. Consider, again, Jesus’ twofold invitation: “Come…” followed by “and you will see.”
When our Lord speaks to each of us, His invitation is quite similar. First, He will invite us to come with Him. We are to come to the place where Jesus is staying. Where is that? For us, it is not necessarily a physical place; rather, it is first and foremost a place of prayer. We must hear Jesus invite us to come to Him through the interior journey of personal prayer. It is there, within the depths of our soul, that we will rest with our Lord. He invites us to simply be there in His divine presence.
When we come to Him and rest with Him in His presence, another thing will happen: “and you will see.” We will see Him, come to know Him, be enlightened by Him and come to faith in Him. At first, this happens by His spoken Word. Ultimately, this takes place through an interior revelation that we can only receive in prayer.
Reflect, today, upon this gentle invitation that our Lord gave to these disciples. As you ponder these words, hear them spoken also to you. At first, spend time reflecting only upon the word “come.” Allow it to penetrate your soul. Allow it to become deeply personal. Know that it is a real and loving invitation from Jesus. After that, try to spend time pondering the words “and you will see.” What is it that God wants you to see? What personal revelation of faith does God want to bestow upon you? “Come, and you will see.” Allow these words to change your life, just as they changed the lives of these first disciples of our Lord.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
CONFIRMATION NAME
“You are Simon, son of John; your name shall be Cephas (which is rendered Peter).” —John 1:42
As a thirteen-year-old preparing for Confirmation, I knew nothing of the lives of the saints. My mother mercifully suggested Francis for my Confirmation name. There were two such saints, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis de Sales, and I found myself more attracted to the latter saint. Decades later I learned that St. Francis de Sales published numerous religious booklets, and is the patron saint of writers and also of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. I praise the Lord, Who named me Francis in Confirmation and led me to the perfect patron for my life’s ministry! The Lord didn’t see me as a clueless youth, but rather He saw me as the person I would become in Jesus, and gave me a new name to fit the part.
Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas (Jn 1:42), which means ‘Rock’ in Aramaic, the language of Galilee, or Petros in Greek, also translated ‘Rock’ (see Mt 16:18). Jesus saw Simon not as he was at that moment, but as the man he would become, the leader and rock of the Church. Often religious orders will issue a new name to a new member. The Lord is always working through that name change. With the new name also comes His calling (see also Gn 17:5; 35:10).
Praise Jesus that He sees beyond our past and present failings, weaknesses, and sins. He sees us as a royal child of God (see 1 Pt 2:9). Jesus loves us for who we are, but issues us an upward calling (Phil 3:14) to be His fruitful disciples.
Today, bring to mind your Confirmation name. With that name, you are confirmed in the Holy Spirit. Live your new name and new calling in Christ. Be re-confirmed in the Spirit.
Prayer: Father, may I become the person You see when You look at me. May I live up to my new name.
Promise: “The man who acts in holiness is holy indeed.” —1 Jn 3:7
Praise: St. Elizabeth followed her Lord across religious denominations, across the Atlantic Ocean, wherever He led.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM
(Barcelona, Spain)
“Rabbi, where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
Today, the Gospel reminds us of the vocational circumstances of Jesus' first disciples. To get ready for the advent of the Messiah, John and his friend Andrew had listened to, and followed for a while, John the Baptist. One day, John the Baptist, points out to Jesus, by calling Him the Lamb of God. On hearing this, John and Andrew understand that He is the long-waited Messiah! And, by leaving the Baptist, they set out to follow Jesus.
Jesus hears them behind. He turns and sees them following. Jesus and those unassuming men exchange glances. They remain captivated. Jesus' gaze turns their hearts over and they feel the need to stay on with Him: “Where are you staying?” (Jn 1:38), they ask Him. “Come, and you will see.” (Jn 1:39), answers Jesus. He invites them to remain, to see, to meditate.
They go, and they contemplate Him while listening to Him. And they spend the evening and the night with Him. It is a time of closeness and confidences. A time of love sharing. They remain with Him until the following morning. When the Sun rises over the world.
Stirred up with the flame of that “sunrise which shines upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death...” (cf. Lk 1:78-79), they set forth to irradiate it. Exalted, they feel the urge to communicate what they have seen and lived to the first ones they may meet: “We have found the Messiah” (Jn 1:41). Many saints have also done it similarly. St. Frances, love wounded, went about streets and squares, hamlets and woods, shouting: “Love is not loved!”
In our Christian life, the essential part is to allow Jesus to gaze into us, to go and see where He stays, to stay with Him and to share, and to announce it afterwards. This is the way and procedure followed by the disciples and saints. It is our way.
Prayers
Lord, You continuously invite me to come to You, to be with You and to sit with You in Your divine presence. Please help me to hear this gentle invitation of Your love. As I do, please open the eyes of my soul to see You, know You and love You more fully. And as I see You, give me grace and strength to follow You wherever You lead. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus Christ, fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit that I may grow in the knowledge of your great love and truth. Let your Spirit be aflame in my heart that I may joyfully seek to do your will in all things.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 4: The Incarnation and Birth
When the eternal Son of God took on flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, human nature was changed forever. By uniting Himself with humanity, God raised our dignity to a whole new level. The Incarnation established a new unity between God and man and this is an act of the utmost Mercy on God’s part.
Ponder, today, the great miracle of new life. Think of the birth of a small child. And then try to imagine this little and helpless child being the Creator of the Universe and the Savior of the World. What a gift of God’s Mercy!
Lord, I thank You with profound gratitude for uniting Your divine soul with fallen humanity. I thank You for uniting Yourself with me, a sinner. May I always be in awe of the Mercy bestowed upon me through Your Incarnation. Jesus, I trust in You.
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