"Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel"

Scripture 

1st Reading: 1Jn3:11-21
Resp. Psalm: Ps100:1-5
Gospel: Jn1:43-51

He found Philip in Galilee

The presence of divinity is awe-inspiring. In the manifestations of God in the Old Testament, fear and palpable apprehension reigned because with the revelation of God's presence, we experience awesome grace, divine splendour, beauty, goidness, light, immortality. In His presence, we understand the full limitations of our humanity. The encounter of the Lord with Philip left an indelible mark on Philip's life. The awesome presence of the Only Begotten Son of God was irresistible. Philip was called by the Lord to follow Him. Philip did. What personal experience of the Lord have we ever had? What indelible marks did they leave on us?

"We have found him"

The encounter of the Lord with Philip seemed the end of Philip's long search for the Messiah. From Philip's statement today, he was one of the ardent Jews of his generation that wanted to see the manifestation of the Messiah. Philip saw. The Messiah called him. Philip followed. But Philip did not end there. When something is too good, and an experience is so life changing, the privileged person does not keep it to him/herself, but in joy overflowing and superabundant, makes it known to others. Philip not only told Nathanael that the Messiah had been found but expressed his faith in Him as the One written about by Moses and the prophets. This person, according to Philip, was Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph. Have we truly found Him? Do we live only on the faith of our parents? Have we personally encountered Jesus?

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

We live with pre-conceived notions, prejudices, pull down syndrome, pre-judgement without personal experience. We fight other people's battles on the basis of what people tell us about others. We join people to destroy others just on the false testimony of an interested party. Sometimes we are the perpetrators of the violence; other times, we are the victims; in this way, we continue the cycle of violence. Nathanael was of this mindset. According to him, nothing good can come out of Nazareth, so Philip's claim that the Messiah came from there was false. Philip's response, full of the power of conviction, was simple: "come and see." Our Lord, as God who sees everything, saw this transaction between Philip and Nathanael. He brought Nathanael back to his senses by showing him a little aspect of his divinity: His power to see what no human eye can see and hear what no human ear can hear. This brought Nathanael to his knees in deep confession of faith: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel." He also made Nathanael realize that he would still see greater things since as the Son of God, angels were His servants and ministers. Do we base our life and conduct towards others on the basis of what people tell us about them? Have we ever thought in our hearts that nothing good can come out of someone else?

Love one another 

The greatest teaching the Lord came to earth to reveal to humanity is love. He was born out of love; He came to earth out of love; He carried out His mission out of love; He suffered and died and rose again out of love. As the new Adam, He destroyed the negative effect and evil paradigm of hatred and sin and murder that Cain infested our humanity with. The word of God today teaches us that we hate because our deeds are evil. The world hates good and righteous believers because its ways are evil. The world remains in death as a result of this. Faith in Christ and living out that faith makes us pass from death to life. The Lord has given us the paradigm: he laid down His life for us. We ought also to follow His example in love and lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Do we love because of something or because of Someone? Do we love freely, without pre-conditions and encumberances?

Let us pray

"O God, who by the Nativity of your Only Begotten Son wondrously began for your people the work of redemption; grant, we pray, to your servants such firmness of faith, that by his guidance they may attain the glorious prize you have promised." Amen.

May the Living Word of God find a true dwelling place within our hearts and souls today and always.

Rev. Fr. Anthony Igbekele