Today's Good News Reflection

You are the bride of the Lamb, as depicted in today's first reading. (Okay, okay, I know it's hard for men to see themselves as brides, but let's get away from gender restrictions for a moment.) Women and men who love Jesus belong to the Church -- symbolized in this reading as "Jerusalem" -- which is the bride of Christ.

You are gleaming with the splendor of God. You are a precious jewel that sparkles like a diamond. The gates into God's kingdom have been opened for you by our Jewish heritage (the 12 tribes of Israel) and the teachings of the 12 Apostles.

At your baptism, you were united (married) to Jesus as priest, prophet and king. In Paragraph 2 of the Decree of the Apostolate of Lay People from Vatican Council II, we're told that "to the apostles and their successors [the ordained priests] Christ has entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in his name and by his power [the definition of authority in the Church, which empowers the lay faithful]. But the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical and kingly office of Christ" and are therefore no less important in the mission of Christ.

By joining ourselves to Christ's sanctifying priesthood, his prophetic role as teacher of truth, and his kingly responsibility to protect those in our care from straying from the truth, we are all precious. We don't need to wear expensive jewels -- we are expensive jewels! Remember the price that Jesus paid for you. You're worth it, according to his idea of what's valuable.

Do you sometimes think you're worthless junk? God doesn't see you that way. Even when you sin, he never stops noticing the gem that is the real you underneath the garbage. Learn to see yourself as God sees you.

And what about the people who make your life difficult? The rebellious kids. The over-demanding boss. The person at church who's causing division. The alcoholic who refuses to get help. The ex-spouse. And so on.

We need to remember that beneath their garbage is a precious gem, made in the image of God. Jesus is inviting them to conversion and growth, repentance and healing. He's inviting them to clean off the muck that's accumulated on their gems. In today's Gospel reading, we see this happen to Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), who begins to shine with God's glory as he recognizes that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel.

The more we learn what it means to be the bride of the Lamb, the more our inner gems shine the way the Father designed us to shine.