Second Sunday in Ordinary Time of Year B
Posté par diaconos le 13 janvier 2021
And when they saw where he dwelt, they stayed with him
# The Apostles, are the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus also distinguished seventy disciples, who later became bishops of a city. All these disciples preached the Good News, an expression that gave birth to the word gospel, after the texts were written in the years 65-100. Paul of Tarsus was considered the thirteenth apostle by Christian tradition: he was called the apostle of the Gentiles. Both Catholics and Orthodox consider the bishops to be the successors of the apostles, and attach particular importance to the fact that the bishops are in the apostolic succession.
The Group of Twelve remained after the Resurrection of Jesus. After the betrayal and death of Judas, the Eleven who remained decided to draw a disciple by lot, Matthias, to become with us witnesses of the resurrection. They were, together with other disciples, the beneficiaries of the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost. After the killing of James, brother of John, by Herod Agrippa I in 44, the group was not renewed, although they returned to Jerusalem regularly to report.
# During the life and ministry of Jesus, the apostles were his closest followers and became the primary teachers of the gospel message of Jesus. While Christian tradition often refers to the apostles as being twelve in number, different gospel writers give different names for the same individual, and apostles mentioned in one gospel are not mentioned in others. There is also an Eastern Christian tradition derived from the Gospel of Luke of there having been as many as 70 apostles during the time of Jesus’ ministry.
The commissioning of the Twelve Apostles during the ministry of Jesus is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. After his resurrection, Jesus sent eleven of them (minus Judas Iscariot, who by then had died) by the Great Commission to spread his teachings to all nations. In modern usage, missionaries under Pentecostal movements often refer to themselves as apostles, a practice which stems from the Latin equivalent of apostle, i.e. missio, the source of the English word missionary. During the 1st century AD, the apostles established churches throughout the territories of the Roman Empire and, according to tradition, through the Middle East, Africa, and India.
From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
At that time, John the Baptist was with two of his disciples. Looking at Jesus who was coming and going, he said, « Behold the Lamb of God. « The two disciples heard what he was saying, and they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw that they were following him and said to them : « What are you looking for ? »
They answered him : « Rabbi – that is to say, Master, where are you staying ? » He said to them : « Come and see. « They went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour (about four o’clock in the afternoon).
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two disciples who had heard the word of John and followed Jesus. First he found Simon, his own brother, and said to him, « We have found the Messiah » – which means Christ. Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, « You are Simon, the son of John; your name will be Kephas » – which means Peter. (Jn 1, 35-42)
The first group of disciples
John the Baptist addressed two of his disciples to Jesus: On the third day, John again designated Jesus to two of his disciples as the Lamb of God. The disciples followed Jesus and were received by him in his house. This was the tenth hour. The two disciples sought their brothers and brought them to Jesus: Andrew, the first, met his brother Simon and said to him : « We have found the Messiah! Jesus changes Simon’s name to Cephas. »
Nathanael, met by Philip and informed by him that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, manifested unbelief, then, convinced by a word of Jesus, which showed superhuman science, he greeted him as the Son of God and the King of Israel. Jesus announced greater revelations to him.
John, having fixed his gaze on Jesus, did not address these words precisely to his two followers, but he spoke them for them. They heard the same testimony the day before, more complete, and this allusion was enough to make them want to get to know Him more closely, whom their master had announced to them. This was the humble and unselfish intention of this servant of God.
They followed him, seeking to draw near to him. This is not yet the moment when they will consecrate themselves to his service, yet it has been said with good reason : « These were the first origins of the Christian Church. » (Bengal)
Jesus, seeing these two young men following him to enter into a relationship with him, warned them kindly and thus facilitated a meeting that decided their lives. This title of Rabbi, although very honourable among the Jews, remained far below the idea that these two disciples had of Jesus according to the testimony they heard; but for the time being, they did not dare to rise any higher when addressing Jesus.
The two disciples inquired about Jesus’ dwelling place, with the intention of visiting him later, but he invited them to do so immediately, and when they saw and heard him, they took him for granted forever. True faith, which is the trust of the heart, is born only from immediate contact with Jesus.
John adopted this division of the day used by all the ancient peoples, who counted the hours from sunrise, and not, as Tholuck, Ebrard, Ewald, Westcott, Keil thought. This first encounter with his Jesus left John with such an indelible memory that when he wrote his Gospel half a century later, he indicated the precise time.
Deacon Michel Houyoux
Links to other Christian Web sites
◊ Father Hanly : click here to red the paper → Homily for 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
◊ The Thread : click here to red the paper → The First Four Disciples
♥ First group of early church fathers
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