The theme of this year’s Northern Catholic Conference is The Eucharist: the True Presence of Jesus. Inherent in this year’s theme is the invitation from Jesus to “Come and see.”

 

He first extended the invitation to Andrew and John as we read about in John 1:35-39. As we can see from reading that passage of scripture those two disciples having heard John the Baptist witness to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Then they followed Jesus along the road and He turned and asked them that very pertinent question, “What do you want?”

 

It’s a question Jesus asks of every one of us! If we are seeking His light, His life and His forgiveness then we are on the right road! Andrew and John answered that question put to them by Jesus by asking, “Rabbi, where do you live?”They asked that question because deep in their interior depths there was a hunger for intimate union and communion with God.

 

 Jesus said, “Come and see.” In coming to see where He lived and spending the rest of the day with Him their eyes, minds and hearts were opened to see that He was the Messiah of God. If you and I want to experience what those two disciples experienced then we have to spend time with Jesus as the Word of God and as the Bread of Life on a daily, if not regular, basis.

 

Intimate union with Jesus is only established over time. The reaction of Andrew was to go to his brother Simon Peter and witness to the fact that he, with John, had found the Messiah. He teaches us that intimate union and communion with Jesus compels us to share the joy of knowing the Lord with others thus fulfilling the Lord’s call to us to evangelise.

 

Lastly, it is interesting that John finishes that passage of scripture by relating at what time of the day they met Jesus. We’re told it was the 10th hour i.e. 4pm. John wrote in that detail because he remembered all those years later when he was writing his Gospel the very time and place where he met Jesus. And in meeting Jesus that day his life was changed forever.

 

So that invitation Jesus extended to those first two disciples to “come and see” is the same invitation He extends to you and me to come and discover who He is for us today. We sincerely hope that through the talks, workshops, adoration, Holy Mass and fellowship at this year’s Northern Catholic Conference you may experience Jesus in a whole new and exciting manner and feel compelled to make Him known to others as the early disciples did.

May God bless our conference and all who venture to “come and see.”

Fr. Pat Deegan