A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

[208] 1 John 3:11-21 Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5 John 1:43-51

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

“Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me.’” John 1:43

It is such a simple command, yet that is all we have to do in order to become saints.  “Follow me” Jesus says.  All of Christianity comes down to this: follow Jesus.

It is so simple, yet so confusing at the same time.  Follow Jesus where?  Follow Jesus when?  Am I already following Jesus?  Or am I walking down my own path?  Will he let me know if I am not following him?  Who or what do I have to leave to follow him?  So often we can find ourselves asking God these questions in prayer but he never seems to provide us with the answers.

But that is what truly tests our faith: whether we are willing to follow Jesus without having these questions answered for us. 

In John’s Gospel today, Phillip does not seek Jesus out and ask him a bunch of questions.  Instead, Jesus comes to Phillip.  It says, “Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and he found Phillip.”  This may seem a bit ridiculous but try inserting your own name and location into this story.   For example, “Jesus decided to go to Omaha, and he found Kevin.”  Just as Jesus found Phillip, so also will Jesus find you and me, and he will call us to follow him.  Phillip’s response is to tell Nathanael, who immediately upon hearing Phillip speak of Jesus, questions him. 

Our challenge today is to open ourselves to Jesus; to stop asking the questions and seeking the answer like Nathanael does, and to let Jesus find us where we are—at home, in our workplace, in church, wherever we may be, whatever our state in life is—and to follow him.  Jesus will come to meet us like he does Phillip and Nathanael, often in ways we do not expect, and will call us to follow him.  Will our response be to question Jesus when he does call, or will it be to have faith and to just go where he leads?