Daily Reflection, August 24, 2024

Reflection:

Today’s gospel shows the importance of invitation and encounter.

If we look at this Gospel from the perspective of Phillip we see that he is excited that he has “found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” Phillip is the apostle who instantly responded to Jesus’ invitation to “Follow me”.

Phillip introduces people to Jesus; and would like to introduce his friend Nathanael. But Nathanael is sceptical and even prejudiced about a native of Nazareth : “Can anything good come from that place?”

Phillip does not argue with Nathanael but simply invites him to “Come and see.” and to meet Jesus for himself. Phillip seems to realise that in meeting Jesus, Nathanael’s prejudices would be relinquished.

In his message for World Communications Day 2021 published on January 23, Pope Francis wrote: “The Gospel comes alive in our own day, whenever we accept the compelling witness of people whose lives have been changed by their encounter with Jesus.

“The challenge that awaits us, then, is to communicate by encountering people, where they are and as they are,” he concludes.

We are a “Come and See” people and a “Go and Tell” people. We are called to be the presence and seek out the presence of Christ in the world. In doing so, we have a responsibility to share Christ with the world through action and word.

Joanne McGrath is a parishioner of St Brigid’s Marrickville and a Passionist Companion.