December 27, 2022
Feast of Saint John the Apostle
Jn 20:1a and 2-8
We live in a race-filled world. Gamers, sports cars, the quickest ways to invest and earn money, fast food, the latest computer or cellphone processors, online maps showing the quickest routes, online shopping, and so on.
Speed allows us to reach our targets and accomplish more. Imagine using a typewriter today instead of a computer, or a calculator and not a spreadsheet. Deadlines would never be met.
But why not also rush to find Jesus? How? Where is he? He was born 2,000 years ago, can we still find him in this fast-paced world?
The good news is that Jesus is present precisely where we are in a hurry, in the middle of the world. He waits for us in our family, streets, office, laboratory, kitchen, school, mall, market, garden, fields, and even the internet. We just have to look for him, as we hurry through our daily duties. There is always room for Jesus.
St. John rushed to the tomb to see Jesus whom they buried two days earlier. But he waited for St. Peter to enter first. Like St. John, we rush in our daily lives. Perhaps like him, we could also pause once in a while, to let Jesus enter into our lives.
This is especially necessary since rushing also magnifies mistakes. Haste makes waste. If we speed toward a wrong direction or procedure, we lose time and resources. For this reason, we really need to pause and pray, to make sure that our life direction is still correct.
St. Peter and St John hurried to look for Jesus in the tomb and did not find him. Yet Jesus himself went to greet them, as they were gathered with the other Apostles. We too might not find Jesus immediately, in the midst of the rush; but as long as we search for him, he will show himself to us, for he knows where to find us. Jesus is passing by each day, even in ways that we never expect.
There is no need to abandon the good that we already do for ourselves, our families, and others. Let us continue with our daily lives, rushing yet with pauses, for there we will find Jesus. Going to church, our prayers at home, and conversing with God as we commute to school or work, will bring us closer to God in other moments of the day.
In the First Reading, St. John says, “We are declaring to you what we have seen and heard, so that you too may share our life.” May we also race to bring Jesus to others? Again, not only in the church or when we pray but precisely where we rush to each day – our place of work or study, in social media, in sports and recreation, at the store, wherever we are.
There are always opportunities to bring Christ to others and to bring them to Christ. For this, we ask Mary and Joseph to accompany us, for where Jesus is, there they also are.
Reflection
How can you make room for Jesus in the middle of your workday?