Help along the way

Jesus, teach me to ask for help in working on my talents AND getting closer to you! Amen.

John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, "There's the Lamb of God!" Right away, two men named Andrew and John asked Jesus, "Teacher, where are you staying?" Jesus answered, "Come see." Andrew told his brother, Peter, "We have found the Messiah, who'll save the world!" The three men left with Jesus and became His first Apostles.

Are you a fan of "American Idol"? Kids across the country watch that show, sitting on the edge of their seats every week while they wait to see which contestant will finally win the competition and become a famous singer.

"American Idol" is interesting because the contestants don't start out looking perfect and professional. They might sing very well, but they get help along the way to dress well, move to the music and do an even better job on the songs before they can win.

In a way, what the contestants on "American Idol" want is what a lot of people want: someone to help them do the best job they can in life. Even Andrew and John in this week's Gospel (John 1:35-42) wanted that!

Andrew and John had heard John the Baptist talk about how great Jesus was -- that Jesus was the Messiah, the one who would save the world and bring everyone closer to God. Naturally, Andrew and John wanted to meet Jesus and see what He could teach them!

Becoming a professional singer doesn't just happen instantly for the "American Idol" contestants; it takes a lot of hard work and practice. Becoming one of the Apostles, Jesus' closest followers, was a lot of work for John and Andrew, too.

That's why, when they started to ask questions of Jesus, He just told them to come with Him. Jesus knew they'd have to spend a lot of time together for Him to teach them all about God!