Sunday’s Reading: The Apostles Assemble (John 1) – 5 Quotes from the Fathers

Complement your discussions and meditations on today’s Sunday Reading with 5 quotes from the fathers of the Church. Today, at Mass, St. John the Evangelist follows the assembling of the apostles and Peter’s renaming.

Today we share insights from St. Augustine, St. John Chrysostom, Alcuin, Origen and St. Bede. Legwork complementary of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Gospel Reading for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 1:35-42

The next day after this, John was standing there again, with two of his disciples; and, watching Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, this is the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard him say it, and they followed Jesus.Turning, and seeing them follow him, Jesus asked, “What would you have of me?” “Rabbi,” they said (a word which means Master), “where dost thou live?” He said to them, “Come and see;” so they went and saw where he lived, and they stayed with him all the rest of the day, from about the tenth hour onwards. One of the two who had heard what John said, and followed him, was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. He, first of all, found his own brother Simon, and told him, “We have discovered the ‘Messias’ (which means, the Christ)”, and brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him closely, and said, “Thou art Simon the son of Jona; thou shalt be called ‘Cephas’ (which means the same as Peter).”

St. John the Evangelist
John was the friend of the Bridegroom; he sought not his own glory, but bore witness to the truth. And therefore he wished not his disciples to remain with him, to the hindrance of their duty to follow the Lord; but rather showed them whom they should follow, saying, Behold the Lamb of God.

St. Augustine
The Bridegroom stands by in silence; others introduce Him, and deliver the Bride into His hands; He receives her, and so treats her that she no longer remembers those who gave her in marriage. Thus Christ came to unite to Himself the Church; He said nothing Himself; but John, the friend of the Bridegroom, came forth, and put the Bride’s right hand in His; i.e. by his preaching delivered into His hands men’s souls, whom receiving He so disposed of, that they returned no more to John.And observe farther; As at a marriage the maiden goes not to meet the bridegroom, (even though it be a king’s son who weds a humble handmaid,) but he hastens to her; so is it here. For human nature ascended not into heaven, but the Son of God came down to human nature, and took her to His Father’s house.

St. John Chrysostom
The disciples followed behind His back, in order to see Him, and did not see His face. So He turns round, and, as it were, lowers His majesty, that they might be enabled to behold His face.

Alcuin
Perhaps it is not without a reason, that after six testimonies John ceases to bear witness, and Jesus asks seventhly, “What seek you?”

Origen
He beheld him not with His natural eye only, but by the insight of His Godhead discerned from eternity the simplicity and greatness of his soul, for which he was to be elevated above the whole Church. In the word Peter, we must not look for any additional meaning, as though it were of Hebrew or Syriac derivation; for the Greek and Latin word Peter, has the same meaning as Cephas; being in both languages derived from petra. He is called Peter on account of the firmness of his faith, in cleaving to that Rock, of which the Apostle speaks, And that Rock was Christ; which secures those who trust in it from the snares of the enemy, and dispenses streams of spiritual gifts.

St. Bede