Jesus calls his first disciples

It is the second Sunday in Ordinary Time and this Sunday is the start of our Sinulog festivities, which culminates on January 20, Saturday, for the solemn procession and on Sunday for the Sinulog Grand Parade. I have always said that Cebuanos are blessed that the roots of our Christianity were planted here by Ferdinand Magellan's "Armada de Moluccas", whose mission was to look for the spice islands south of the Philippine Archipelago.

But in passing through Cebu the Spaniards baptized King Humabon and Queen Juana as the first Christians in this part of Asia. So you can say that our gospel reading today is a kind of coincidence as it talks about the First Disciples of Jesus, which you can find in John 1:35-42. We Cebuanos are proudly the first Christians in Asia.

35 John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter12).