Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Cycle “B" – January 15, 2006)

Q. 354:   Why doesn’t John the Evangelist name the other disciple who was with Andrew in today’s Gospel story (Jn 1:35-42)?

A. 354:   Remember that St. John the Evangelist is that great theologian who carefully picks every single word in his Gospel, and every word has special significance – even the “unspoken” words.   So the very omission of a name is indicative of something significant.

In scripture you will always find God either calling someone who will become great through someone insignificant; or working his greatest works through the humblest ones.   Thus we find the simple and humble Mary, chosen to be God’s vehicle to bring the Redeemer of the world onto the human scene.   We find David, the youngest of many brothers (and therefore insignificant), anointed to become King of Israel while a teenager.   And we find Andrew calling his brother Simon and bringing him to Jesus – the same Simon who was renamed “Peter” and who was made the bedrock of the Church by Jesus.   We also find the Galilean Philip bringing the wise and scholarly Nathaniel to Jesus.

So in today’s gospel we find two disciples of John the Baptist leaving him to follow one “greater” than him – Jesus the Christ.   Recognizing John’s work of theology, we therefore assume (logically) that the unnamed disciple who accompanied Andrew to see Jesus also became “greater” in later history; and it was probably John, who later became St. John the Apostle and Evangelist (and who may also have been the “beloved disciple” in this same gospel).

There is a lesson in humility here, among other things.   Jesus taught this very well when he said, “He who humbles himself will be exalted.”    There is also a lesson in observing what these humble people do.   They are always on an active search for a closer relationship with God, and they are always available and willing to serve God and His people at all times.   This is a definition of “faith in action.”

KNOW YOUR CATECHISM!   By “staying with” Jesus and becoming his disciples, the Apostles learned to imitate the mission of Christ, “to serve and to give his life” for others (CCC #608).   Each one of us is called personally by God to “stay with” Jesus, to follow His way, and to continue His mission of spreading the Good News (in a manner appropriate to our vocation in life) (CCC #871).

Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha

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