God does not use human standards

 
Reading: And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46.
 
Good morning, happy Thursday, and many blessings my dear family.
 
With today’s Gospel (John 1:45-51) we celebrate the feast day of the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Now ask yourself: Is this feast meaningful to me? Do I believe in angels regardless of whether they are archangels or just regular angels?
 
The three angels we celebrate today are God’s messengers with special functions. Gabriel who brought the message to Mary is the patron of telecommunications and radio.  Raphael who guided Tobias on his journey is the patron of nurses, physicians, and the blind. Michael is venerated as the protector of Christians. The angels remind us that God’s speaks in many ways, that God’s messengers are in many guises.
 
Most of us learned about angels at a young age. There are angels in the Scriptures. In the past years, there have been books and TV shows focused on angels. Yet I suspect that many of us have not had a personal and up-close experience of an angel, a heavenly being, appearing to us.
 
I believe that if we take time to think about it, we hopefully could name several people in our lives who are angels to us. It may be someone who notices us and asks how we are. Or perhaps it is someone who anticipates our needs. Or it may be a person who surprises us with a simple gift or their time or attention.
 
Jesus first compliments Nathanael and then makes a promise to him. He is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit, unlike Jacob, the first Israelite who outwitted his brother Esau. The promise to see the heavens open is not only for Nathanael but for all who believe that Jesus, the Son of Man, is the true ladder leading to eternal happiness. Let us keep climbing!
 
Come and see. Have you ever used those words to invite friends to come to church with you? Have you ever talked to your friends about Jesus and what He has done in your life? If some laugh and say you’re foolish to believe as you do, don’t argue with them. Be friendly and accept them as Jesus does. After a while, your friends may be curious and willing to “come and see” what church is all about. Best of all, they may come to know Jesus.
 
We see a good example of this in the passage we heard from John’s Gospel. Philip invited Nathaniel to come and see the long-promised Messiah. The law and the prophets were the two most important parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. Philip told Nathaniel that he found the one that the Scriptures had been telling them to anticipate. The Messiah was now in their midst, but He went beyond the prophets of the Old Testament. He was the Word-the one who most perfectly revealed God and God’s will.
 
Like Nathanael, many of us are judgmental and dismissive of other people and cultures. He says nothing good can come from Nazareth. Yet, God can do unexpected things. The very people or places we look down upon or despise are the ones God raises and blesses. Nathanael himself was an ordinary person and despite his judgmental attitude, Jesus praised him as a true child of Israel and as a person without any duplicity. Who could have imagined that Jesus would call him as one of the Apostles? Not even Nathanael himself expected it. Indeed, God does not use human standards.
 
Blessings,
 
Luis+