Directing People to God

Weekly Missionary Reflection

2nd Ordinary Sunday, 14 January 2024

1Sam. 3:3b-10,19; Psm. 40:2,4ab,7-8a,8b-9,10; 1Cor. 6:13c-15a,17-20; Joh. 1:35-42

The next day John stood there again with two of his disciples. Whenhe saw Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:35-36).

To be Jesus Christ’s disciple is faithfully seeking Christ during our long journey in our lives. In the journey we will need the help, guidance and advise from others.

Today’s Gospel reading of John 1:35-42 tells the calling of the first disciples of Jesus. These first disciples are earlier followers of John the Baptist. John directs his disciples to follow Jesus. After his disciples follow Jesus, John remains joyful in his ministry and is never disconcerted.

Today we are invited to learn from the true missionary, John the Baptist. John the Baptist is the one who prepares the way for Jesus Christ. During the process of preparing the way for Jesus, John is considered as a Teacher by some people and they follow him wherever he goew. Before meeting Jesus, John was used to being a leader, directing his followers and was put in the first position in his community. After meeting Jesus, he sincerely transferw his “first position” to Jesus for the ministry of God’s great work begins. No harder task than taking the second position after getting used to be inthe first position.

John has acted as a true disciple, he has directed a lot of people to Jesus and doesn’t take this opportunity to promote himself. John doesproclaim the Kingdom of God instead of himself. During the ministry in the Church, we meet different kinds of Jesus Christ’s disciples, one of them is those focusing on promoting themselves and use the ministry as a means in enriching themselves. Those are Jesus’ disciples who don’t serve the Lord, instead he serves himself. Through today’s Gospel reading we are encouraged to turn back to the essence of ministry as Jesus Christ’s disciples.

John is both a missionary and true teacher. John directs his followers to Jesus, the Lamb of God. John always wishes that his disciples grow in faith and love in following Jesus. As the missionary of Christ in this world, we are invited to learn from John the Baptist who consistentlypresented Jesus to everybody and never got tired of introducing Jesus as the Lamb of God.

The story of John the Baptist in today’s Gospel resembles the story of Samuel’s calling in the first reading. Like John, Eli who is the teacher of Samuel directs Samuel to answer God’s calling that is not recognized by Samuel. John and Samuel are missionary models who act as teachers, companions and leaders for the people surround them to the Source of Love. How about us? Are we the missionaries who lead our relatives, friends and fellow people of God to Jesus? Together with John the Baptist and Eli, let’s purify our mission of calling as Jesus’ disciples and bring more people to Christ.

Our mission today: To put Jesus first in the ministry and direct people to Jesus, the Source and Core of our lives.

(Ignasius Lede – Commission for Mission of The Bishop’s Conference of Indonesia)

DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER

Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy and sorrow in the unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.

Together with Mary, Mother of Jesus and the Church, in particular I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of Indonesian Church of this month:

Universal Church Intent: For the gift of diversity in the Church
We pray that the Holy Spirit may help us to recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian community and to discover the richness of different traditions and rituals in the Catholic Church.

Indonesian Church Intent: Young families
We pray that the young families may find their intimate private spacewith full of God’s love in the midst of their activities at work,household, church and society.

Amen.