The gospel of the second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B presents to us the first encounter between Jesus and his disciples. We see Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother and probably John, Zebedee’s son, in their first interaction with their future Master. Until that point, Andrew and John had followed John the Baptist, but now encouraged by his testimony—“Behold, the Lamb of God”, they left behind their spiritual mentor to begin a new journey with Someone whom they recognized as a long-waited for Messiah. They had been so impressed by this first encounter that they not only stayed with him, but they went excited to look for and call others—their relatives and friends, and to bring them to their new Teacher. That is how Simon, later called Peter, would meet Jesus for the first time. The story is paradigmatic of any encounter with Jesus that we might have had in our lives. It always begins with some form of faith testimony. Someone—our parents, grandparents, priests, nuns, or catechists—spoke to us about Jesus. However, not just their words but seeing their lives being sustained and impacted by their relationship with God that was that what inspired us to open our lives to him. Seeing how their married and religious vocations were nourished and strengthen by his love in challenging times and brought peace and joy to their lives made us feel that we wanted to share a similar experience. But that’s just the beginning. The next step is the personal experience of the love of God. It takes time to allow ourselves to be embraced by it. And it is not just something individual but takes place within a community—“WE have found the Messiah” Andrew would say to his brother Simon. The seed of friendship with Jesus grows slowly in our hearts with all its setbacks and difficulties and in the end produces fruit of mature faith and love. Love that wants to be shared and spread with others and that’s why it invites those who are open to receive it and to enter the circle of Jesus’ disciples. Nowadays, when so many people leave the Church and doubt about the love of God there is a pressing need of witnesses to Jesus who would invite others to welcome the gift of Jesus’ love and friendship. But why should we do so? At the end of the story, Jesus gives to Simon a new name—you will be called Peter, which means rock. In the Bible the new name means new identity. The life of Simon will change, not that he would become a superhero, he will always struggle with his weaknesses and shortcomings. But exactly through the gift of the love of Jesus he would become a new person—Peter, the rock—in his weaknesses he will experience the power of God’s love. That love which transforms our lives is the only reason for us to follow Jesus and to call others to do so as well.