“John was standing with two of his disciples,

and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,

‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’

The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,

‘What are you looking for?’

They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ — which translated means Teacher —,

‘where are you staying?’

He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’

So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,

and they stayed with him that day.

It was about four in the afternoon.

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,

was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.

He first found his own brother Simon and told him,

‘We have found the Messiah’ — which is translated Christ —.

Then he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said,

‘You are Simon the son of John;

you will be called Cephas’ — which is translated Peter.”

As we enter back into Ordinary Time, the first reading and Gospel reading for today are two of my favorites. It makes sense that they are connected, since they both relate to a call from God. I love the interaction between Jesus and the very first disciples, Andrew included. It seems so very ordinary. What are you looking for? Where are you staying? These are ordinary questions, not esoteric or abstract theologies. The Gospel of John can veer into higher theological reflection, but not today. Today is about human interaction and the discovery of hope. It is the inkling that a longing is being fulfilled. Jesus’s response I simple and profound, “Come and you will see.” Come and see. It is the invitation to encounter Christ in the midst of our lives. It is the best form of evangelization. Don’t be a spectator, or let me try to explain it, just come and see. For a time during college, I attended an independent evangelical charismatic church in addition to going to mass every Sunday. I would often invite family or friends, but spent an inordinate amount of time trying to explain what my guests would experience. The pastor, a friend of mine to this day, eventually said, “Don’t explain so much, just let them experience it.” It was good advice. Come and see.

Perhaps my favorite line of today’s Gospel is the almost inconsequential, “It was about four in the afternoon.” There is no symbolic theological meaning and the story could be fine without it, but John wrote it and included it in his Gospel. Why? I believe it is because it is true and was recounted as part of the original story told by Andrew and the other disciple. Why? This is the kicker. The moment Andrew and the other disciple encountered Jesus changed their lives forever. Like the most significant moments in our lives, we remember ever detail. So did they. The otherwise inconsequential detail was part of the memory of the most significant moment in those disciples lives, when they met the messiah! It changed them forever. It changed the world forever. It can change us forever. When did we meet the messiah? When did we meet Jesus? For all the other high theological reflections, this is most important: the personal encounter with Jesus. He calls to you and me. The invitation is human and simple. Come and see!