Are you too busy for God?

2nd Sunday of Ordinary time 2024

John 1:35-42: "We have found the Messiah" "What are you looking for?"

There are many ways in which we can group people into categories. Maybe the most key distinction between people are those who are looking, waiting and preparing for Our Lord’s coming and those who are not and just want to get on with their life. The former try to live their lives in grace, trying to avoid sin the best they can, the latter don’t bother themselves with the thoughts of God or what would please or displease Him.

This Gospel we have heard the joy of the two apostles first meeting Christ, “We have found the Messiah!” And having found Him they follow Him.

‘Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"’

He said to them,"Come, and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.

These two were waiting, watching and seeking God. John who writes this Gospel remembers the encounter so well that he even tells us the time it was, ‘It was about four in the afternoon.’

Now… the world can be a busy place and forgetting about God can be oh so very easy. That is why Catholics, Catholics who love their faith, bring God into every part of their life. They begin the day with prayers, the morning offering, at their meals they pray the grace before meals and thanksgiving after, and there are a number of devotions which they can have and pray daily and they finish the day with a prayer before going to bed.

The more our faith permeates our lives the more it permeates our hearts and the more our faith permeates our hearts the more it permeates our life; the more you live your faith the more you will love your faith and the more you love your faith the more you will live it. Thinking of God is not only a good and holy thing to do but these holy thoughts also make us good and holy, like fresh and wholesome air to the soul. Just as wholesome/healthy food helps us stay healthy physically, so wholesome thoughts help us keep mentally healthy and holy thoughts keep us spiritually healthy.

In today's world so many people are suffering from so many spiritual ailments. The world of man is spiritually sick, lost in sin, seeking personal gain and profit and so they are shut off from God.

Psalm 53:3-4; All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon God.

Instead of turning from sin to God the world builds up its own version of paradise and justice, forcing onto other, they build another tower of Babel.

In Noah’s day the world had rejected God and become so evil that God sent a flood to stop the ever growing wickedness. Gen:6:5-6 “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Only 8 entered the ark and were saved.

Sodom and Gomorah became so intent on evil that God rained down sulphur and brimstone on it. Gen 18 “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.” - even “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.” After Lot's family of 4 left the town it was destroyed.

When Israel was frequently unfaithful to God by worshipping other gods and breaking His covenant and commandments God punished them by withdrawing His blessings, sending enemies to invade and oppress them, and eventually exiling them from the land He had promised to their ancestors.

Instead of continuing on with the examples I want you to think about your life. Are you preparing for the day you will meet God? Are you like the two apostles Andrew and John, waiting for Our Lord or will you be caught unprepared?

Mt 24:37-39 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

For those just wanting to get on with life they missed God’s first coming and they will be unprepared at His second coming. I encourage you all to repent confess your sins and prepare for your meeting with Him as Ss John and Andew did, waiting watching and seeking God.