Come and See

The appointed Gospel reading for the Daily Prayer of the Church is taken from the Gospel according to John where we hear about the call of Jesus’ first disciples:

 

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ (Jn. 3: 43-51)

 

Nathanael (whose name means “Given of God”) is a bit skeptical when he is told by Phillip that they have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote.  Nathanael makes a snide comment: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Jesus responds: “Come and see.”  Nathanael spent the rest of his life seeing what Jesus could do and did.

 

Some of us may be skeptical when we are told about Jesus.  Jesus says to those of us who are skeptical, “come and see.”  That is an invitation worth accepting.

 

Let us pray:  Lord Jesus, when you ask us to come and see, send the Holy Spirit to lead the way so that we may go in all earnestness.  Amen.

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Seaside Seniors will meet in Sutton Hall this Thursday, 16 January 2014 for lunch and activities.

 

The Churches on the Island are hosting the 165^th Diocesan Council which begins on Friday, 7 February 2014 and end on Saturday, 8 February 2014.  If you have not yet signed up to volunteer, please do.

 

Bishop Jeff Fisher will visit St. Augustine on Sunday, 9 February.  The service time has been changed to 12:30 p.m. for that day.  Please note this for your calendar.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

Fr. Chester J. Makowski

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550