You will see greater things than this

5 JANUARY (Jn 1,43-51)

Jesus has a way of speaking that is always guided, moved, enlightened by the Holy Spirit. He always knows how to talk to every heart. Philip, called by Jesus, meets Nathanael. His way of reporting is not perfect. He starts from his enthusiasm. He found the one Moses, in the Law, and the Prophets wrote of: Jesus, the son of Joseph, of Nazareth; he communicates this unvarnished truth, without thinking that the man before him was a perfect expert of both the law and the prophets. For Nathanael Nazareth is no guarantee and certainty of truth. The answer is immediate: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip is sure of what he says and invites him to personally make the meeting with Jesus. Come and see; you will judge and decide.

Two simple words of Jesus convince Nathanael of his truth and he confesses: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel!” The true Messiah of the Lord, the true Christ of God is before Him. Nathanael has no doubt. Where does he draw this certainty from? Is one word of Jesus enough for the truth to be revealed to a heart and a mind? What is necessary for there to be a true profession of faith? The answer is in the word of Jesus: “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no falsity.” Nathanael is pure and clean hearted person. He is a seeker of truth and does not rush to this or that other Master. He manifested it as soon as he heard Philip narrating him his experience and his faith in the Lord Jesus.

Are the testimonies of John the Baptist, Andrew, Philip and Nathanael enough to show the whole truth on Lord Jesus? Not at all. They are truths, but not the fullness of truth. Jesus adds one that is essential to his mission. He is not like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, the prophets and other pious and righteous people of the Old Testament. He is the ladder, the only ladder, through which Heaven comes down to earth and the earth rises to Heaven. He is the only Mediator, the only one between God and humanity. There are no other mediators. He is the Mediator in creation, revelation, redemption, justification, sanctification, in rebirth and in the new life. Where He is absent, the mediation between heaven and earth is also absent.

The next day he decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Pastors refer by revelation. Mary refers by nature, conception, childbirth and meditation. Every little fragment of the life of Jesus is a source of knowledge of his truth to her. John the Baptist refers by honesty of mind and heart, by humility and by revelation. Andrea refers by experience, by contact with Jesus Christ. Philip refers by knowledge and enthusiasm. Nathanael by purity of heart, by interior disposability, by dedication of his mind in search of truth. All these news about Jesus must always be completed by Jesus himself who is revealed to the heart and mind. Today, Jesus adds the most needed truth to know him, his mission, his role and responsibility in the faith relationship between the Heavenly Father and the whole of humanity, the entire universe. He is the one, the only scale that links earth and heaven. He is the one and only bridge that allows to unite the two separated sides by an eternal abyss. If he is excluded in the relationship of faith and religion with the Father, with God, there is no communion of grace, truth, light and true salvation.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us full faith in Jesus.