Tell Your Friends

There is an old saying, “Strike while the fire is hot.” Nothing can be more true this week we Orthodox call Bright Week or Renewal Week. It is the week we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ as if every day is Pascha. Our prayers are different. Our greetings are different. Our food is different. Everything about this week is different.

When we experience something great, we tell our friends. We find a gas station with great prices, and we tell our friends. We find a vacation resort with discounted prices and great views, and we tell our friends. The same thing happened in today’s Gospel story. The news of finding the Messiah couldn’t be kept secret because Andrew and the others didn’t want their friends to miss out, and this was their reaction three years BEFORE they witnessed the Resurrection!

At that time, John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” – John 1.35-51

If you experienced the joy of the Resurrection the past few days, then call one of your friends and invite them to come with you to Church on Sunday to “Come and see” for themselves the joy we have when we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. Unfortunately, many Churches are half empty this coming Sunday as many people are ‘still recovering’ from Holy Week.

Fight the temptation to stay home. Fight the temptation to keep the Good News of Christ to yourself. Fight the temptation to go back to how your life was a few weeks ago. The Holy Apostles’ lives were forever changed when they experienced the Resurrection of Christ. Fishermen became teachers and sages. EVERYTHING is made new in the Resurrection.

We are celebrating because we have witnessed the joy of the Resurrection. We have found the Fountain of Youth in celebrating the Resurrection. Now…while the fire is hot in your soul….go tell your friends, so we everyone can experience the joy.