Come and See: An Open Invitation
What are you waiting for?
“Come and see.” Those are the words Jesus spoke to the disciples who were following Him and asked where He was staying (John 1:38–39).
Jesus invites all of us today to do the same: Come and see!
Instead of sitting on the sidelines and passing judgment on the Catholic Church, everyone is invited to come and see what all the fuss is about. Come find out why anyone follows Jesus. He invites all of us to spend time with Him, to get to know Him.
I know Pope Francis has upset and confused many people with his recent call to nations to ban surrogacy. That view is in line with the bedrock of moral teaching in the Catholic Church. To understand why the pope is making such statements, a person has to be willing to take a good look at what the Church teaches about the sanctity of human life.
Come and see. Come ask hard questions. The Church can take it! God turns no one away from seeking the truth.
The Church really is in some ways like a buried treasure that too many people neglect to look for, much less find. Although they may be searching for happiness, peace, and joy and for a purpose in their lives, they don’t realize what is right in front of them.
In fact, with all the Holy Masses online these days, you can take the first step by watching one online. One diamond in the rough is an online Canadian daily mass available at Daily TV Mass — YouTube.
Today I watched it instead of going to Holy Mass in person because we have 15 inches of snow on the ground and a dangerous wind chill. The priest, Father Ernesto de Ciccio, gave an inspirational homily about Jesus issuing the “Come and see” invitation referenced above.
He pointed out that Jesus did not simply give the disciples an address. Instead, He was in essence saying “Follow me. Spend time with me. Come and see.”
Recently, I was talking to a non-believer about Christmas. This person was excited about the tree, the presents — all the festivities. I said, “I am curious. What exactly are you celebrating?” What followed was a thoughtful silence and puzzled look.
A friend of mine said lots of people celebrate the Lord’s birthday and enjoy all the hospitality and warmth of Christmas gatherings. However, it is like going to someone’s birthday party and leaving without ever meeting the person being honored, the host.
“Without meeting the host” are words of tremendous significance in the context of the Church. During Holy Mass, the baptized Christian Catholic partakes of the Body of Christ in the form of a consecrated wafer called a “host.” There is a true encounter with the Living Christ.
In this New Year, why not try something new? If you have never visited the Catholic Church, come and see what you are missing.
Jesus is waiting for you with outstretched arms.
And there are nail holes in His hands.
