THE WORD
1 Jn 3,7-10 / Jn 1,35-42
The next day John was there again 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 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 Anointed). 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.
IN OTHER WORDS
What do John and Andrew in the Gospel have in common? They both love to be "curtain raisers;" they like their position as "second-stringers." In orchestra they are the violas, string instruments bigger than violins, whose role is to play background to the violins. John points to Jesus and exclaims: "Behold, the Lamb of God!" Andrew brings people, like his brother Simon to Jesus and fades away to the background. These two do not point their fingers to themselves but to Jesus. "There is your Messiah, we are not the ones. Go to him."
Would that we have the attitude of these two followers of Jesus. Would that we live, following the almost funny guiding rule: "There is only one God, and we are not the ones!"
When Simon was introduced to Jesus by Andrew, the latter moved back to the background and watched with pride how his brother seemed to have captured the attention of Jesus. What Jesus said to Peter tells us about Jesus. With him we are not only who we are but what we could be, if we allow ourselves to be led and transformed by Jesus.
- Fr. Atilano Corcuera, svD (Dws, Tagaytay City)
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
