Well disposed to God

After Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, he met Philip and said, ‘Follow me.’ Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’ ‘From Nazareth?’ said Nathanael ‘Can anything good come from that place?’ ‘Come and see’ replied Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming he said of him, ‘There is an Israelite who deserves the name, incapable of deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ said Nathanael. ‘Before Philip came to call you,’ said Jesus ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ Nathanael answered, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus replied, ‘You believe that just because I said: I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ And then he added ‘I tell you most solemnly, you will see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.’ (John 1: 43-51)

Where there is no dishonest prejudice towards divine realities, God's grace works in a hidden but constant way. This is particularly evident in the call of the future apostle Natanaèle, also known as Bartholomew, who follows Philip despite the fact that  Nazarenes were not well considered. Jesus does the rest: his loving welcome and a small  initial revelation of Himself open Natanaèle's heart to the action of the Spirit, allowing him to recognise in Jesus the Majesty of the Son of God. Is your heart even at this moment so well disposed towards Jesus?