When I was in my mid-thirties, I met Jesus in a new and personal way, different from anything I had experienced before in the practice of my Catholic faith.  While I have shared the details of this encounter in prior blog posts, let me just say that it had the effect of enhancing my faith in God and the Church.  It gave me a desire to pray more, read scripture, and experience everything about my spiritual and faith life in a more intense and real way.

As John the Baptist saw Jesus passing by one day he observed to Andrew, one of his disciples, that Jesus was the “Lamb of God!”  Andrew then spent the day with Jesus, and afterwards, went to his brother, Peter to share that he had found the Messiah and wanted to introduce him to Jesus.

“The first thing Andrew did was look for his brother, Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah (that is, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.” (John 1:41 NIV)

Like Andrew, my meeting Jesus in a new way gave me a desire to tell others about my experience of meeting Jesus.  I was so excited about my encounter and the effect it had on my life that I wanted to share my experience with family, friends, and even co-workers. 

I remember writing lengthy letters to my parents and a cousin, who was a nun, explaining in great detail all that happened.  I shared my experience with a couple of close work colleagues who seemed to accept what I had to say.  One of them retold my story to other work colleagues.  Some friends invited me to share my experience at a parish prayer meeting.  One invitation seemed to lead to another. 

For over forty years, I have been trying to respond to opportunities to tell people about Jesus, including this weekly blog.  Yes, there have been times when I have missed or failed to act on opportunities.  But telling people about Jesus and introducing them to him seems to be the way Jesus started out with Andrew, Peter, and the others he called.  Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, and Peter, Andrew and the other disciples were Jesus’ “witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

Like Andrew, have you sought to introduce others to Jesus?

“Have you any reason to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4) God asked this question of Jonah after he told him to go to the city of Nineveh and declare that because of their evil ways God would destroy the city within 40 days.  Jonah did what God asked him to do, and the people and king of Nineveh declared a fast and repented of their evil ways.  So, God withheld his destruction.  Jonah became angry because God did not do to Nineveh what he told Jonah he was going to do.   

Like Jonah, our reasons for getting angry may not make any sense or appear petty.  This past week I got angry about having to attend a meeting instead of completing some work that I thought was more important.  I found myself being critical of everything that was happening in the meeting until I realized that the evil one was getting me riled up because I was having to interrupt “my schedule” and what I thought was more important than attending this meeting. 

St. Peter reminds us in his first letter, “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Our pride, which is one of the deadliest of sins, wants to distract us from Jesus’ call for us to love and serve others and fulfill God’s will in all that we do.  Anger is often a sure sign of the devil’s presence in our lives tempting us to do something against God’s will. 

James, in his letter says it simply, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.”  We can come near to God through prayer, reading his word, participating in the sacraments, and seeking his presence in all that we do.

When you get angry do you stop to think that it may be the devil trying to deter you from doing God’s will?  

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV)

These words of St. Paul in his letter to the Hebrews set forth a significant truth.  Jesus is the exact representation of God.  Do you want to get to know God, get to know Jesus.  It may be hard for us to picture God and get our heads around who he is.  God may have appreciated this difficulty, so he decided to become one of us in the person of Jesus 2100 years ago.  We have just come off celebrating that event with Christmas. 

In John’s Gospel, Phillip, who had been with Jesus for almost three years as one of his disciples says, “Lord show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered, ‘Don’t you know me Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time.  Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.’” Jesus seems to be frustrated with Phillip.  He says, “How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’  Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?” (John 14:8-10)

Jesus’ words to Phillip also apply to us.  If we have come to know Jesus, we have come to know the Father.  While the Church teaches that we receive the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit in our baptism, it may take an adult yes to activate that presence as we mature.  Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus says that if we love him and obey his teaching (an adult yes), he and the Father will come and make their home in us – an amazing promise! (John 14:23)

Have you opened the door of your life to Jesus so that he and the Father may take up residence?

Three times God speaks to Joseph through an angel in a dream.  The first time was to tell him to take Mary as his wife after he had decided to divorce her quietly because she was pregnant.  The second time was to flea to Egypt to escape Herod’s efforts to kill the child Jesus. 

The third time was to return to Israel when it was safe.  “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” (Mt. 2:20)

The Bible does not reveal many details, so we don’t know the time periods involved or all of the circumstances.  Whatever the time, perhaps years, Joseph’s response to the sequence of events exhibited great trust and confidence in God.  He accepts an explanation for Mary’s pregnancy that defies all human experience. Then he takes his wife and new baby to a foreign land in reliance on a warning in a dream.

We see the faithfulness of God to Joseph in his multiple words, signs and the evolving circumstances.  The angel’s message about Mary giving birth to a son, who was to be a “Savior” and “The Messiah,” was subsequently confirmed by some unknown shepherds who report that angels told them the same thing. (Luke 2:11) 

By the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth recognizes Mary as “the mother of my Lord.” (Luke 1:43) Further confirmation comes through the words of Simeon and Anna during the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:2-38) Then God directs three kingly men from foreign lands to find Jesus, Mary and Joseph and give them gifts, including gold, that may have sustained them in their flight to Egypt. (Matthew 2:1-12) 

Finally, Joseph receives one more message that it is now safe for them to return to Israel.  We see trust and faithfulness in Joseph in his willingness to act on the words he had received and in his submission to the circumstances. 

What is your level of trust and confidence in God when he gives you that gentle nudge or whispers in your ear?    Do you see his faithfulness and desire for you in the circumstances of your lives?