Daily Archives: 4 January, 2024

What am I in search of? Reflection for Marriages: John 1:35-42

GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to John
Jn 1:35-42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter

The word of the Lord.

What am I in search of?

What are you in search of? This is the pivotal question. God has instilled in me certain longings that drive me to seek, and if these cease to pull me, I will have lost my vitality. What do I seek? Peace, justice, abundance, dignity, well-being, trust, communion? Behind each of these aspirations, the answer lies in Christ. Search genuinely, and you will ultimately find yourself following Him.

Applied to Married life:

Jhon: Theresa, I’ve realized that this inner calling I feel isn’t negative. I don’t need to suppress it; instead, I must learn to guide it appropriately.
Theresa: What is your calling? Mine is communion. I want a profound connection with you, and I haven’t quite achieved it. That’s why I get disheartened.
Jhon: Your frustration arises because, to attain communion, you’re using an unsuitable path. Which one is it?
Theresa: Usually, it’s the path of demand, accusation, and reproach.
Jhon: Thank you for being honest. The correct path is to do everything with love, driven by your desire to give, or more accurately, by God working through you. Embrace that, and you’ll witness positive outcomes.
Theresa: Alright. And what is your longing?
Jhon: Mine is for peace, and I pursue it through the wrong avenue of laziness. I need to practice diligence. However, I’m relieved to know that I am fundamentally sound, and this desire pulling at me is positive.
Theresa: Yes, that’s uplifting. Thanks for sharing, Juan. But how do we redirect our paths?
Jhon: There’s only one answer to that: Christ.

Mother,

We all seek Christ because true salvation is found only in Him. Praise be to the Child God.