Memorial of Saint John Neumann, bishop
(I John 3:11-21; John 1:43-51)
It is said that unlike other rabbis of his day, Jesus sought
out his own disciples. Most rabbis
waited for students to come to them.
Jesus, however, took the initiative.
In today’s gospel he calls Philip directly. “’Follow me,’” he instructs the man from
Bethsaida. He has also had an eye on Nathaniel
for evidently a long while.
Jesus called John Neumann, today’s patron saint from an
early age. John wanted to serve as a
priest in his native Bohemia but was refused ordination because of a surplus of
clergy. Priests were hard to find in the
United States where he emigrated. Within
a year of his arrival John was ordained and not long after that he was on the
missionary trail.
Jesus calls each of us to be his disciples. Whether or not we become a priest or
religious, we are to learn from Jesus and then, very importantly, serve in his
name. We need to discern what the Lord
wants us to do and then go about it with all our heart.
