5 January 2017 - known to him

[ Today's Readings ]

Jesus invites us to follow him.

Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. 
And Jesus said to him, "Follow me." 

Following him cannot be separated from loving one another. Even if we aren't sure if we are close to Jesus, even if he feels distant, we should still be able to see the fruit of his presence in our lives. We should be able to reassure ourselves that he is with us by our love for one another.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 

His power in us is greater than what we can think, feel, ask or imagine. It works in us even when we don't realize it is. We look back even on times when God feels distant and see an increase of love, patience, kindness, compassion, gentleness, joy, and peace manifesting in our lives that we couldn't see at the time because, perhaps, our feelings distracted us.

Jesus knows who we are when he invites us to follow him. He knows our strengths.

"Here is a true child of Israel. 
There is no duplicity in him." 
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" 
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." 
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." 

But he also knows our weaknesses. He calls sinners to follow him. After all, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). He knows our flaws. He calls us to love in deed and truth but he knows that we sometimes come up short. Even when our hearts can't reassure us, when God not only seems distant but his fruits are absent, we know that he invites us back, just as the father is waiting daily for the return of the prodigal son.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.