The solemnity and grace of today's simple narrative are equal to the occasion: John the Baptist standing, two of his own disciples nearby, a long look at Jesus walking by, and then the solemn statement of John: "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples, without further ado, just take leave of the Baptist and cross over to Jesus becoming his disciples. Like the others who were to follow, they remain with him to the very end.

But it was not to be as simple at it seemed. A short interview before engaging them was not out of place. And so Jesus says to them: "What is that you seek?" The disciples' answer shows some embarrassment, but it beautifully and delicately expresses some respect ("Rabbi") and the desire to spend a while at home with the new-found Master.

The disciples' reply shows some embarrassment, and in fact it took the form of another question: "Master, where do you live?" The unusually concise form of the entire dialogue still goes on and is for the time being concluded with Our Lord's express invitation: "Come and see!" so the two disciples "went, saw, and won", to use an expression taken from an entirely different context. They saw where He lived and, as the narrative goes on, stayed with him for the rest of the day.

The exciting and very concise story, as we read, goes on for yet a while. When Andrew, one of the two disciples, returned home, he finds there his own brother Simon and so, full of enthusiasm, tells him: "We have found the Messiah". This bit of news was more than enough for Simon who, without further ado, goes, together with his brother, to meet Jesus. No time is wasted.

In Simon Jesus found the right person whom he eventually was to put in charge of the whole group of disciples. Jesus, as the Evangelist tells us, looked fixedly upon him and, as it were, penetrated his soul, before giving him the name which designated him as the foundation rock of the Church: "From now on your name will be Peter". The Latin word petra means rock. Later on Jesus would elaborate the purpose of Simon's change of name, when we will pronounce these solemn words: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my Church!"

If we look back into past years we shall certainly recall how our thinking about Jesus has taken different shapes. As children we obviously used to be enthused by the image of baby Jesus lying in the manger surrounded by his parents in Bethlehem. Who of us did not look with joy and a bit of awe at the Crib we had at home during our childhood?

Later on we began to learn about his sufferings for us and began to discover the meaning of the Cross. And then we read and studied parts of the Gospel at school and became somewhat familiar with the life of Jesus. Maybe today, as we have grown up, we feel we can do without images of Jesus and descriptions of what he said and did. Does it mean that we have all met the true Jesus? Each of us, somehow, is still looking for the real Jesus and wishing to meet him.

Much depends on the concept and the image we have of Jesus: God, Saviour, friend? Very often we do not need to go around looking for the real Jesus. We can find him in our neighbours, especially in those who need our help and support in their difficult moments.

We shall also find him in the thousands and millions who are starving to death in many parts of the world and who may still be waiting for the bit of bread we can easily spare for them. We also discover Jesus in our next-door neighbours to whom we could perhaps show the way to Jesus and help them find in Him their true happiness.

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