Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him

5 JANUARY (Jn 1,43-51)

Jesus is the only mediator between God and all visible and invisible creation, in time and in eternity, in matter and in spirit. Nothing that is of the Father – and everything is of the Father – comes to creation except through Jesus. Nothing that is of creation enters into communion with the Father, except through Lord Jesus. The Father recognizes only Christ and everything that is in Christ, through Christ, with Christ. Today, this truth is taught by Jesus applying to himself the dream of Jacob at Bethel.

Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram. Esau realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac, so he went to Ishmael, and in addition to the wives he had, married Mahalath, the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. Jacob departed from Beer-sheba and proceeded toward Haran. When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set, he stopped there for the night. Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep at that spot. Then he had a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s messengers were going up and down on it. And there was the Lord standing beside him and saying: “I, the Lord, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south. In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing. Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.”

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he exclaimed, “Truly, the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it!” In solemn wonder he cried out: “How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven!” Early the next morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on top of it. He called that site Bethel, whereas the former name of the town had been Luz. Jacob then made this vow: “If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back safe to my father’s house, the Lord shall be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God’s abode. Of everything you give me, I will faithfully return a tenth part to you.” (Gen 28,7-22).

Today, Jesus meets Nathanael and greets him defining him an Israelite in whom there is no deceitfulness. Nathaniel wonders about this so true and real knowledge of Jesus. He is conquered by him. He who just before had refused to believe, now says that Jesus is the Master, that he is the Son of God and the king of Israel. Jesus answers him that his confession is not his whole truth. He is not only the king of Israel. He is the King of the universe, the King of Heaven and earth. He is the King in whose hands the Lord placed the entire creation. He is the ladder of Jacob. Through him, God descends on earth, and the earth rises to Heaven. He is the bridge of communion between God and the visible and invisible universe.

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.”

Who must believe in the truth of Jesus Christ is not the world, it is the Church and it is all his disciples. This truth must be defended, proclaimed, taught, shouted to the whole world for its greatest good. Where Christ does not reign, there is no true, full communion between God and man. There is no gift of grace and truth. There is no gift of the Holy Spirit without measure. Man remains in his poor, miserable, wretched humanity. He remains in his willingness to go to God, but not in the reality of a genuine and perfect relationship.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints, give us this true and complete faith.