Reflection for January 5
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” From 2017-2021, I attended Nazareth College (soon to be Nazareth University!) and let me tell you---this was a question I asked myself daily. Not because I doubted the credibility of my school, but because I doubted myself.
In the depths of my heart, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I’d listened for God’s call and I’d taken time to discern. I felt aligned with God’s purpose for my life: I was working to develop my gifts and passions, making meaningful relationships, learning and growing and experiencing moments of true joy.
And yet, oftentimes, I just felt paralyzed by fear.
I, like Nathaniel in today’s gospel, had questions: Had I made a mistake? Will I amount to anything? Can anything good come out of Nazareth? I encountered this passage of scripture a few weeks into my freshman year. I immediately wrote it out on an index card and began carrying it to class every day. Though I would continue to wrestle with the questions, it gave me hope. I think what encouraged me most was how Philip responds to Nathaniel’s question: “Come and see.” A simple call to show up. Nathaniel listens; he comes and sees Jesus for himself. He sees that something very good indeed has come out of Nazareth.
Like Nathaniel, we are all called by Christ to follow and to serve. The fact that we gather as part of this community means that we recognize that call. But, admittedly, it is a challenging call to embrace. We are often overwhelmed by fear, by questions, by the challenges of life.
But Nathaniel’s story reminds us that showing up – just showing up, as simple as it sounds-- is a holy thing. It’s an act of faith. And it will be met by Christ himself.
Consider this your invitation to come and see.
Caelie Flanagan
Holy Family Staff