Today's Gospel has that rather poignant scene of John the Baptist pointing out the Lamb of God to his own disciples, two of whom then leave and become disciples of Jesus. ("He must increase, I must decrease.") And then Andrew, in his turn, goes out to his brother, and brings him to Jesus. What a marvelous confluence of missions, all converging on Jesus!
When I first entered the Daughters of St. Paul, our chapel in Boston featured life-sized frescoes with idealized depictions of our life and mission. In the sanctuary, there was a painting of two sisters kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, and a caption (in the words of the Founder), "One love: Jesus Christ. One burning desire: to give him to souls." I think the same kind of ardor is manifest in today's Gospel story in John the Baptist and Andrew the apostle.
2 comments:
That caption...good motto.
Something else struck me from this Gospel as I read your reflection. The disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of Jesus were seeking the same thing: to find and follow God.
In the image of two who left John to follow Jesus, I located an opportunity to find peace for those who leave religious life or who leave one community to go to another. It's not an exact parallel in terms of John versus Jesus or one community versus another, but there is a parallel insofar as "following God's will where and when He calls."
Blessed Pauline, founder of the Sisters of Christian Charity, was quoted as saying "The moment I realize God's Will I must relinquish everything, even that which I cherish most." For some, that means moving to religious life; for others, it means leaving religious life or moving away from the idea of religious life.
Taken out of context my remarks here might seem counterintuitive to supporting religious life, but really they aren't. Many people who live religious life for a period of time and then "leave" really struggle with their own leaving even when they know it was "right." This gospel really offers solace in confirming that God's call can take us anywhere and at anytime.
Just some thoughts,
Lisa
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