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Monday, January 14, 2002

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1 Samuel 1:1-8
Psalm 116
Mark 1:14-20

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the meaning of "come"

"Come after Me; I will make you fishers of men." —Mark 1:17

Jesus continues to say to each of us: "Come after Me." If we are committed Christians, we tend to think we've already done that. Nevertheless, to come after Jesus can mean a new experience each day, as we enter into the mystery of God's love.

Hundreds of millions of Christians do not realize that coming to Jesus means following the Church, her bishops, and her Pope. Some Christians try to follow Jesus without trying to know the Bible. Hundreds of millions of Christians don't realize that to come after Jesus means to come to Holy Communion as often as possible and to center their lives on the Eucharist. Some Christians even continue a crossless Christianity or an isolated Christianity without community life.

When Jesus says: "Come after Me," He means so much that we can spend a lifetime beginning to grasp the countless ramifications of coming to the crucified and risen God-Man.

Filled with the Holy Spirit of Christmas, on this first day of "ordinary time," let us come after Jesus.

Prayer:  Father, I will come and adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Promise:  "How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the Lord." —Ps 116:12-13

Praise:  After coming to Bible study for three years, Louise came to believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Reference:  (For related teaching, order our tape Come to Me, You who are Labored, on video V-80.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, May 30, 2001


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 4, 2001