By Sister Marianne Ferguson
We might wonder why John, the beloved disciple, was the first to recognize Jesus at Lake Tiberius. There must have been a close relationship fostered by many conversations during which they revealed much about themselves to each other so that they came to know each other on a human level. John and Jesus must have shared the attitudes, values, and actions they had in common. No doubt Jesus was John’s best friend, creating a relationship strong enough to keep John by Jesus’ side when He died. Here was a mutual trust that enabled Jesus to place His mother in the care of His Beloved Disciple.
Perhaps the Beloved Disciple was an example of what our relation to Jesus could be. Would our conversations with Jesus in prayer be so self-revealing that we might better understand the reciprocal revelations of Christ! Our words and actions may be consistent with Jesus’ teachings, but we might sometimes find that our motives are more selfish. We sometimes need discernment to recognize the hidden motives of our behavior that have more to do with me, than the kind action I just performed. We need the help of our trusted friend Jesus to become the beloved disciple that He hoped we might be.
If we would spend more quality time in prayer, we might find more in common with our best friend and lover, Jesus. During this quarantine, we do have more time to spend with the scriptures that reveal to us the person of Christ. Since knowing a person often leads to love, perhaps spending time with the word of God might help us to recognize the presence of God as quickly as did the Beloved Disciple.
