Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ
The watchword for the New Year, the Year of Twenty Twenty Two, is taken from the Gospel of Saint John, Chapter Six verse Thirty Seven, “Jesus said: All that the Father gives me, will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away,” (New International Version). This verse is taken from the narrative of Jesus’ miraculous multiplication of bread for the hungry listeners at the Sea of Galilee. After they received this nourishing gift they were over-awed. Many pronounced that this must be the prophet that were promised to redeem the Jews. They wanted to forcefully crown Jesus king, but Jesus left their midst and went to a quiet place to pray.
Jesus knew that it was not the signs and miracles that he performed that moved the people most, but the mere fact of receiving earthly bread and sustenance created from his hands. He wanted to impart not only earthly food, but spiritual bread, the Manna from Heaven. When Jesus started to teach that his body and his blood were the elements that will give everlasting life to all who will share in this eucharist, the people found his teaching a stumbling block and offensive. One by one his followers started to desert him. He turned to his disciples, the twelve he chose, and asked them whether they will leave him too due to their failure to understand his teachings. The disciple Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” (Amplified Bible). It was only after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension that the disciples, through the power of the Holy Spirit, understood Jesus’ teaching fully. They saw with their physical and spiritual eyes how Jesus became the Manna from Heaven, broken for the people, his blood shed as a sacrifice to redeem all. Water mixed with blood running from his pierce side manifested Christ’s gift and sacrifice. He is the Enfleshed Word of God, the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World.
We read the in the Gospel of John how John the Baptist gave evidence of Jesus as the Son of God by saying: “Look! There is the Lamb of God,” (John Chapter One verse Thirty Six, Amplified Bible). Two of John’s disciples came to Jesus and followed him. Jesus asked them what they wished from him. They asked Jesus where he was staying and Jesus said to them: “Come and you will see,” as we read in verse Thirty Nine of the Gospel of John, Chapter One. This is our watchword for the month of January. Jesus invites us, just like he invited and chose the first two disciples, to come and see where he stays. Is this not an awesome invitation? As we seek and search the scriptures Jesus Christ stands next to each one of us. He shows us where he is present in scripture for us. Christ’s presence in scripture is his revelation to us of his real presence in our lives, just as he is present in the Eucharist to strengthen, encourage and forgive us, daily. He is our daily portion, the living heavenly bread. He wants to be fully part of our lives. He says our names are imprinted in the palms of his nail-pierced hands. We are promised, as the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews wrote in Chapter Thirteen verse Eight, “Jesus Christ is always the same, yesterday, today and forever,” ( Amplified Bible). He is the Lord who calls you today, who says: “Come and look!” Let us look to find our Lord where he presents himself, for he is everywhere around us. He will never change towards us and continues to invite us to come to him and find joy, peace and rest in Him.
Father, we thank you that we can enter into the New Year being absolutely certain of your presence, your loving-kindness and your compassion on us. Help us to look for you and behold you! Help us to keep our eyes on your Son, Jesus Christ, so that the world will grow strangely dim as your Light brightens our days and our ways. This we pray in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.