Scripture:
Revelation 21:9b-14
John 1:45-51
Reflection:
Come to Me
In most Eucharist liturgies a Psalm is presented to us as response to the Scriptural readings. In the feast of the apostle Bartholomew, we find this beautiful quote of Ps 145:18: The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.
To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him.” The inspired Hebrew word for near is qārôb. “Basically, the word denotes being or coming into the most near and intimate proximity of the object (or subject). A secondary meaning entails actual contact with the object.” Strong 2065 The smartest thing Bartholomew ever did in his life was to come to Jesus! This proximity changed his life. We still remember someone who met Jesus 2000 years ago! We talk a lot about legacy today. Believe me, the only legacy we will ever have is our closeness to Jesus!
I often think of another young man in the Gospels who came to Jesus. He was an ideal vocational prospect! Jesus loved what He saw. “Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, one thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Mk 10:21 Like Bartholomew, this was the invitation of a lifetime! “But at these words, he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.” Believe me: No legacy for him! We don’t even know his name! “He went away grieving.” To leave Jesus is the greatest loss and sadness of our lives!
Our prayer life can be simply understood as coming to Jesus! “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. MT 11:28 One of the most beautiful and frequent words for prayer in the New Testament is the Greek word parakaleo. It occurs 105 times in Scripture. It means kaleo, which means to call and para around or close. Come to Jesus without too much fuss! “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him” Ps 145
Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P., preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.