Gospel Reflection from Notre Dame

The aspect of this reading that is most meaningful to me is that Jesus invites his new disciples to come and stay with him as they decide to follow him. They ask him where he is staying and Jesus replies. “‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day.”

Wherever they stayed, it probably wasn’t glamorous. They probably slept on the floor. Maybe there wasn’t much to eat. These prospective disciples likely got a good glimpse into the life of an itinerant preacher. But the most important thing is that Jesus let them be with him. And that made all the difference.

In the stories of Jesus calling his disciples, we can see ourselves as the disciples and hear Jesus calling us to follow him. This is especially true for me in this gospel passage because my name is Peter. At the end of this reading, Jesus tells Simon, “‘you will be called Cephas’ – which is translated Peter.” Cephas is the Aramaic word for “rock,” which is “petros” in greek and commonly known as the name “Peter.” I guess I’m lucky that my parents decided to go with Peter rather than Cephas. I have always identified with Peter because he has such a human, fallible faith in the Gospels, and yet his love for Jesus is undeniable. He makes so many mistakes along the way, but he always desires to follow Christ and serve him. This inspires me to keep the faith, even when I make my own mistakes.

What Jesus offers to these new disciples, and to us, is a personal relationship in our journey of discipleship. If we walk with him on this path, he will walk with us. He will stay with us and show us the way.