First Reading - Apocalypse 21:9-14
Gospel - John 1:45-51
Philip does not argue with him. He simply says, “Come and see.”
This simple invitation is at the heart of today's message. Faith is not merely about hearing what others say about God; it is about encountering Christ personally.
Nathanael's first reaction is skepticism. He has already made up his mind about Nazareth. But instead of remaining in his prejudice, he accepts Philip's invitation. He comes to Jesus, and that encounter changes everything. Jesus reveals that he already knows Nathanael: “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael realizes that he is standing before someone who knows him more deeply than he imagined. He responds, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
The first reading gives us another beautiful vision. John sees the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, with twelve gates and twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The image speaks of God's people gathered together around God's presence, built upon the foundation of the apostles.
There is therefore a connection between the two readings. The Church begins with people who encounter Christ and are transformed by that encounter. Nathanael is called personally, and the apostles become the foundation of the community that ultimately looks toward the heavenly Jerusalem.
But notice how Nathanael comes to Jesus. He does not begin with perfect faith. He begins with a question and even with doubt. This is encouraging for us because faith does not always begin with certainty. Sometimes it begins with curiosity, a question, a struggle, or even a doubt.
What matters is whether we are willing to “come and see.”
Perhaps there are people today who have doubts about God or the Church. Perhaps they have been disappointed by Christians, wounded by experiences, or influenced by the judgments of others. The Gospel does not tell us to win every argument with them. Philip gives us a better approach: “Come and see.”
Our lives can become that invitation. We can allow people to encounter Christ through our kindness, forgiveness, patience, service, and joy. Sometimes the most convincing explanation of faith is not an argument but a life transformed by Christ.
There is also something deeply personal in Jesus' words to Nathanael: “I saw you.” Nathanael thought that no one knew what was happening under that fig tree, but Jesus had seen him.
This is comforting for us. There are moments when we feel unnoticed, misunderstood, or forgotten. We may think that nobody sees our struggles, sacrifices, disappointments, or quiet acts of goodness. But Christ sees us.
He knows us before we approach him. He knows our questions, our wounds, our hopes, and our fears. And still he calls us.
The heavenly Jerusalem in Revelation reminds us where this journey is leading. Our faith is not simply about getting through this life. We are being gathered into God's eternal dwelling, where God's people are united around the Lamb.
The names of the apostles written on the foundations remind us that our faith has been received through witnesses who encountered Christ and gave their lives to proclaim him. We are now part of that continuing story.
Perhaps today Jesus is saying to each of us: “Come and see.” Come beyond your assumptions. Come beyond your fears. Come beyond what others have told you. Come and encounter me.
And once we have encountered him, we are called, like Philip, to invite others: not by force, not through condemnation, but through a simple witness—“Come and see.”
May we never allow prejudice, disappointment, or doubt to prevent us from discovering what God wants to reveal. May we come closer to Christ, knowing that he already sees and knows us. And may our lives become an invitation for others to discover the joy of saying, like Nathanael, “You are the Son of God.”
For sometimes the journey of faith begins with only two simple words: “Come and see.”
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