A.

COME AND SEE: The Journey of Discovery in a Carmelian Way

Every journey in life composed of different chapters begin with a

‘Come and See’ Experience. A very sacred invitation that touches the

heart of the individuals whether for religious life, married life, single

blessedness and even being in our academic life and so on. Everything is

a ‘Come and See’ experience. Because every human being hungers for

meaning and not just happiness because meaning is the ultimate goal of

every human being. Though happiness may not be constant because we

may experience sorrow and pain most of the time but finding meaning in

all that we do is much more important.

Our recollection is all about your ‘Come and See’ experience. We

will try to revisit the first step of your Carmelian Journey, your ‘Come and

See’ experience. We make use of the biblical passage from the Gospel of

Saint John, the Gospel of Love, to do this.

I may not give you so much activity because I want to a lot this day

as a day of Reflection. This day is your day to free yourself from noise,
from distractions. Let us observe silence and hear God’s voice deep

within us. And I want you to focus on your journey from the heart.

B. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? (Picture)

Jesus asked, “What are you looking for?” Why are you following me

here?

This is the same question that Jesus asks of us today. What are you

looking for? Why do you want to follow me? Why do you want to follow

Jesus?

This is the first question that we need to reflect in relation to

Jesus’ words, what are we looking for in Carmel? Why do we join in

Carmel ? What are you looking for?

There are three important things that we need to reflect why

Andrew and the other disciple of John followed Jesus.

First, is PERCEIVING THROUGH LISTENING. They have

listened to the teachings of John the Baptist about the messiah who

is to come. The messiah who fulfills whom Moses wrote about in

 the book of the Law and whom the prophets also wrote about. This

is very important, this is about perception. Filipinos love to

perceive not only by listening but by feeling as well. We need not

only hear in order to believe but we need to know how it feels.

When you had your first step in Carmel, Jesus asks, “what are

you looking for?” What is it that you are looking for Carmel?

Kindly recall what you are looking for when you decided to

come to Carmel. And why are you looking for it?

C. WHERE DO YOU LIVE RABBI?

Where do you live, Rabbi?

Why do Andrew and the other disciple asked this question to Jesus?

Why is it that Andrew’s companion is nameless?

Asking Jesus where he lives during those times certainly, on

one level, they want to indicate their desire to come under the

tutelage of the master in the manner of a first-century disciple.

Andrew and the unknown disciple were first and foremost

disciples of John the Baptist. They have ACTIVELY LISTENED to

 what John the Baptist taught and told them. And when John the

Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God, the have followed him.

And when Jesus turned to them he asked, “What are you looking

for?” Why do you want to follow me? What is your intention?

It is quite noticeable that the disciples answered Jesus’

question with another question, “Where do you live?” Why do they

wanted to know where Jesus live? Where are you staying? Where do

you remain? These questions point out to one main goal—to learn

from him as they addressed Jesus as their “rabbi” a Teacher. They

are searching for something more. They wanted to be near with

Jesus all the time. They wanted to follow him and learn from him.

They wanted to listen and learn from Jesus’ life, works and

teachings.

D. COME AND SEE

Come and see is a very sacred word that needs to be taken

seriously. It is not just tasting something or discovering something

not just things which we enjoy but also things that could cause pain
and sorrow. It is not about experiencing ‘come and see’ and when

we get discouraged, we won’t continue the journey anymore. That

is why as early as first stage of our academic preparations, we need

to know that our motivation comes from our deep love for God or

just from ourselves. When Jesus said to his first disciple to “Come

and See”, it does not mean that it is a journey that we are always

comfortable. It is not a journey of superiority. It is not a journey of

more privilege. It is not a journey of domination. But the words

“Come and see” is about the journey to the road less travelled. It is

a journey of comfort to an uncomfortable journey. It is journey of

suffering. It is a journey of being true to one’s self. It is a journey of

humility. And finally, Carmelian journey is a journey of LOVE.

Being true to one’s self is not just about expressing who you are, but

is about being true to your convictions and decisions. A full-heart

is needed in this invitation. A half-hearted individual will never

endure this kind of journey. A person who always play safe. It is not

about agreeing to some negative comments to one and when faced

with another agrees again on him. This person is never true. This

person is full of deceit. He is playing safe. He cannot stand on what

is right or he has an ill judgment. Let us come and see authentically.

This come and see experience will lead us to the next step of our

journey to the interior (spiritual life). Leading us to the moment of

walking independently under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The

Holy Spirit cannot penetrate a deceitful heart. We need to be

constantly purified. We need to shut our ears and mouth to others

who controls us. We need to shut our ears and mouth of something

which is not of God. Because if we don’t, it is not God who is in

control but our adversary. We can deceive or fool others, but for

sure we cannot deceive ourselves and God. We need to encounter

Jesus through thick and thin. We need to encounter Jesus for richer

and for poorer. We need to constantly encounter Jesus in sickness

and in health. Until death in order to resurrect with Him.

E. THE CALL OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES

Jesus found Philip and said to him, “Come with me.” And Philip

immediately followed him. Because Philip listens. And not just an

ordinary type of listening but ACTIVE LISTENING. Philip is also

John the Baptist’s best-trained disciple together with Andrew. They

have their own voice, but it is the Lord who calls them. And they

cannot resist the call. I know it is difficult for them to leave the

group of John the Baptist as well-trained disciples but the call of

Jesus is stronger than that of John. That even John let go of his best-

trained disciple to Jesus. They began to walk with Jesus. They have

known that their life with John is in danger since John is quite

renowned of his movement that became a threat to the Roman

Empire. They have known that John could be executed anytime.

But they have stayed. They also know that Jesus is more radical than

John and Jesus could also suffer the same. What is the message of

the passage to us? It is about being READY. We may encounter

different hardships and persecutions. It is a fallacy to believe that

saints do not have people who are against them. In fact, most saints

encounter hostile people in their lives. And what made them

persevere is the message of the “Come and See” experience.

We may be skeptic like Nathanael or Bartholomew to ask

ourselves, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” At first it is

just a joke to name Nazareth as a “God-forsaken place” but

Bartholomew or Nathanael took it seriously. He doubted Jesus as a

rabbi. Because as an Israelite, one should be well-trained of the

Midrash, Bar Mitzvah and other rabbinical studies. Nathanael

didn’t recognized Jesus at first until Jesus reminded him that they

had actually known each other in the same rabbinical school before

under the fig tree. Bartholomew is frank, often to the point of being

tactless. Jesus reminded him of the story of his ancestor Jacob as

being deceitful man. Who deceive Isaac and cheated his brother

Esau on his birth right? Maybe Nathanael was embarrassed to know

that Jesus heard about his unflattering remark for him.

F. THE CALL OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES (2)

I believe this is Jesus’ words to Nathanael of his unflattering

remarks about him to remind him also of his cheating and deceitful

ancestors. If Nathanael said that there is nothing good that came

from Nazareth then what can He say about your ancestors? That is

why Nathanael asked, “How do you know me?” Nathanel was struck

by the words of Jesus. He was ashamed of his remarks about Jesus.

He became a judgmental person by that time but when Jesus told

him about himself, he was ashamed. Israelites believed that they

are the chosen people and that the Messiah should spring from their

roots. And Jesus said to Nathanael, “Here is a real Israelite; there is

nothing false about him.” Why did Jesus tell this? Israelites are

commonly discriminating people. That is why he is called a real

Israelite.

We may have a tendency to be regionalistic (dominant) at

times in our formation. We tend to think and act like we are

superior to others because we belong to such superior region

(family, status, religion, etc.). This is true to Nathanael. Jesus

answered Nathanael’s question on how do Jesus knew about him.

Jesus reminded Nathanael that even though we came from different

regions in Israel, we have known each other as we studied in the

same rabbinical school under the fig tree. And Nathanael

remembered Jesus in an instant. He remembered that Jesus in the

same rabbinical school is one of the excellent students together

with John the Baptist. And He walked with Jesus. His

discriminating and regionalistic behavior vanished before His eyes

when He encounterd Jesus once again.

His doubts were changed into a pure faith in Jesus clothed with

humility. My dear students, I hope you have learnt from your “Come

and See” experience. And even from this simple encounter with

Jesus among his first disciples, they were all purified of their

motivations. The simple encounter became the source of their

inspiration to hurdle everything with Jesus. Be true not just in

expressing yourself but be true in your convictions and motivations

after listening and encountering the Postulancy Program and the

Community so that our moment of continuous walking with Jesus

will be fruitful and meaningful.