Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Lectionary: 684
Lectionary: 684
Brothers and
sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for
Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for
Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of
them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
GospelMT 4:18-22
As Jesus was
walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Meditation: "I
will make you fishers of men"
What
is God's call on your life and are you ready to respond? When Jesus began his
ministry he went every where he could – the streets, towns, hills and lakeside
of Galillee – to speak to people about the kingdom of God. He chose as his
closest friends and coworkers those who were ready to follow as his disciples
and he gave them an unusual mission – "to catch people for the kingdom of
God". What kind of disciples did Jesus choose? Smelly fishermen! In the
choice of the first apostles we see a characteristic feature of Jesus'
work: he chose very ordinary people. They were non-professionals, had no
wealth or position of power or fame in society. They were chosen from the
common people who did ordinary things, had no special marks of education, and
no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment
and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these individuals, not for what they
were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and
power. When the Lord calls us to be his disciples, we must not think we have
nothing to offer him in exchange. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us,
can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you believe that God
wants to work through and in you for his glory?
Jesus
speaks the same message to us today: we will "catch people" for the
kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. God
wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and
witness the joy of the gospel. Paul the Apostles says, "But thanks be to
God, who in Christ Jesus always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the
fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to
God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing" (2
Corinthians 2:15). Do you show others around you the joy of the gospel and do
you pray for your neighbors, co-workers, and relatives that they may come to
know the Lord Jesus Christ and grow in the knowledge of his love?
"Lord
Jesus, you have called me personally by name, just as you called your first
disciples, Simon, Andrew, and James. Fill me with the joy of your gospel and
help me to be a good and faithful witness of your kingdom to all I meet."
 A Decisive Response |
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Feast of Saint
Andrew, apostle
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Father Edward
Hopkins, LC
Matthew 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come
after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their
nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with
their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately
they left their boat and their father and followed him.
Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe that you have called
me to follow you more closely today. I trust that in this prayer, you will
help me see the concrete implications of following your will. I love you and
want to respond to all that you ask of me, today and always. Thank you for
watching over me and guiding me home to heaven.
Petition: Make me a fisher of men, here and now, Lord!
1. As Jesus Walked By: One summer afternoon a priest just happened
to be in the area and visited my home. Within three years, two of my brothers
and I were following Christ on the road to the priesthood. Jesus didn’t just
happen to walk by these two pairs of brothers! He had every intention of
inviting those brothers to become “fishers of men.” How much happens in my
life, prepared and intended by God, to help me follow him more closely? And
all I see is an accident, a coincidence? Ask him when was the last time he
just happened by.
2. At Once They Followed Him: Jesus never calls someone when it’s
perfectly convenient, when that person has nothing better to do. No, he calls
precisely when we are in the middle of living our life, doing what we do
best, what we do most, “casting or mending our nets.” “What a losing
formula!” we are tempted to conclude. Yet what is it he really wants of us
when he calls? He wants a response -- a reply of love. Love is all about
preference and priority. If I love him more than myself, I can follow him “at
once.” If I prefer him over my own activities and life, I can follow him
“immediately.” What is the response of love I am giving or want to give Jesus
today in my life?
3. They Left Something Behind: “Pro-choice:” That’s what God is! He wants
us to choose. But he is not indifferent about what we choose. Every choice
implies the rejection of other options. We cannot follow someone somewhere
without leaving something and someone else behind. Peter and Andrew left
their nets behind. James and John left their boat and their father behind.
This was possible only with Jesus before them. Yet we, too, often try to
follow Christ without leaving things and others behind: the world, comforts,
my preferences... We think that we can have it all. We can’t. We are in
danger of “taming our faith,” bending to the demands of our passions and the
world’s insistence. Love requires a choice, a choice for the real, complete
Jesus. It asks me to reject everything in me that is not him. How
wholehearted is my following of Christ?
Conversation with Christ:Lord Jesus, you have called me and continue
to call me throughout this day. Help me to respond with love, a love that
trumps all my other loves, likes and desires. I don’t want you to have to
wait for me, Lord. Just show me what you want and give me the courage and
generosity to give it to you, no matter the cost.
Resolution: I will give up something today that
diminishes the attention that I give to my spouse, family or friends.
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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, FEAST OF ANDREW, APOSTLE - MATTHEW
4:18-22
(Romans 10:9-18; Psalm 19)
(Romans 10:9-18; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men" (v 19).
READING: As Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, he encountered two pair of brothers performing their everyday tasks as fishermen. Jesus invited them to follow him as his disciples, promising that they would become fishers of souls. Discipleship meant more than being instructed by the master. Jesus called his disciples to share an intimate relationship with him, learning from his example, participating in his mission and being committed to him even to the point of death. Peter and his brother Andrew and James and his brother John responded to Jesus' call "at once" (v 20). Their commitment was immediate and total as they left home, family and work behind in order to be his disciples. These were only the first steps on a long and difficult road as they followed Jesus to the cross.
REFLECTING: Let us "who hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles" [Eucharistic Prayer I], continue in our own time to hand on the faith that we have received, just as the apostles did in their time.
PRAYING: St. Andrew, help me to respond wholeheartedly to Jesus' invitation to follow him as you did.
NOVEMBER 30, FEAST OF ANDREW, APOSTLE
According to the Gospel of John, Andrew was a
disciple of John the Baptist, and then he was the first disciple called by
Jesus (Jn 1:40). He and his brother Peter were fishermen and both were invited
by Jesus to be his disciples. It was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had
the barley loaves and fishes before the multiplication of the loaves (Jn
6:8-9). When the Gentiles went to see Jesus, they came to Philip first, but
Philip then turned to Andrew who brought them to Jesus (Jn 12:20-22). Although
Andrew was not one of the inner circle of disciples (Peter, James and John), it
was Andrew's great joy to bring others to Jesus. Little else is said about
Andrew in the Gospels. Legend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what
is now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified on an X-shaped cross
(saltire) at Patras. It is said that as he hung on the cross he preached for
two days.
Their message goes out through all the earth.
Faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from
the word of Christ.There comes a time in an adult’s life when they hear the Word with the ear of the heart. Children do it well, listening with the ear of the heart. They know authenticity, they know truth. They have natural trust. They have imagination. Things are rarely impossible to believe for children. Believe it or not, they listen well to adults they have faith in. Then they seem to lose it, for a variety of reasons—most of us would call it ‘growing up.’ Jesus frequently asked his disciples to be like little children. Listen with the ear of the heart. Love easily. Have imagination. Trust in the Word. Have faith. Have faith in God. Have faith in God’s love, manifested in Christ Jesus, the gift of love.
November 30
St. Andrew
St. Andrew
Andrew was St. Peter’s brother, and was called with him. "As
[Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is
now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were
fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of
men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him" (Matthew 4:18-20).
John the
Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked
by one day, John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Andrew and another
disciple followed Jesus. "Jesus turned and saw them following him and said
to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which
translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and
you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with
him that day" (John 1:38-39a).
Little
else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the
loaves, it was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had the barley loaves and
fishes (see John 6:8-9). When the Gentiles went to see Jesus, they came to
Philip, but Philip then had recourse to Andrew (see John 12:20-22).
Legend
has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what is now modern Greece and
Turkey and was crucified at Patras.
Stories:
“...[T]he Twelve called together the community of the disciples
and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.
Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and
wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves
to prayer and to the ministry of the word’” (Acts of the Apostles 6:2–4).
Comment:
As in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News, to heal with Jesus' power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people.
As in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News, to heal with Jesus' power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people.
Quote:
Patron Saint of:
Fishermen
Greece
Russia
Scotland
Fishermen
Greece
Russia
Scotland
LECTIO: ST.
ANDREW, THE APOSTLE
Lectio:
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Matthew 4, 18-22
The call of Andrew and his brother
The first disciples fishers of men
Prayer
The call of Andrew and his brother
The first disciples fishers of men
Prayer
O Father, you called St. Andrew from the net of the world to the
wonderful fisher of men for the proclamation of the Gospel. Please also make us
taste the sweetness of the heavenly Father and make us to be your beloved
children. So that we can open our heart to you with full confidence in order to
allow it to be made and be processed by the eyes and words of your beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus, and that together with Him, we bring the joyful news of your
merciful love to our brothers and sisters, which makes, that our life more
beautiful.
Reading
As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
19
He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."
20
At once they left their nets and followed him.
21
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them,
22
and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
Meditation
* "He was walking along the Sea of Galilee." Jesus is just out of the desert, after 40 days of great loneliness and struggle against the devil (Mt 4, 1-11). It 'emerged victorious, secure his love of the Father and came into Galilee, and despised distant land, a land border and irrelevance, bringing his great light, his salvation (Mt 4, 12-16). And here he began to shout his message of joy and liberation: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mt 4, 17). There is no more loneliness, nor desert filled, there is no since the Lord Jesus has fallen on our land, Galilee of the Gentiles: in fact he is really close, it is God-with-us. It is not far away, does not stay still and hidden, but He "walks", walk along the sea, along the shores of our poor lives. Indeed, even more. Galilee, meaning "ring": this tells us that he, Love, is to marry, to join with Him forever. Then you just have to welcome him, as he walks by the sea. He already sees us, even from a distance, we already know ...
* The verb "saw", repeated twice, first in reference to Andrew and his brother, then James and John, brings all the strength and intensity of a gaze that comes from the heart, from deep. Thus the Lord sees us: our readers in, with loving attention browse the pages of our lives, knows everything about us, everything he loves.
* It is no accident that Matthew often uses the vocabulary to describe this episode of family vocation, encounter with the Lord Jesus we find four times the word "brother" and two times the word "father." We brought home our principle of life, where we discover that we too are sons and brothers. Jesus enters our reality in this most human, most us, more everyday, enters the flesh, in the heart, in my entire life. It is recovered, to make us be born again.
* "Follow me." These are his words, simple and clear: he asks us to set out, to move, we, like him, "Come." It 'nice feeling to awaken from this voice that reaches us and is stronger, sweeter than the voice of the waters of the sea in the world, noisy and confused. When he speaks to the heart, becomes a great calm, calm returns. And then we also offer on course, marks the path to follow, does not let us lose, "Behind me," says the Lord. Just accept the invitation, just accept Him to know more, we just follow him, he is to open the road.
"They left and followed." The two brothers, the first called Peter and Andrew, they become for us the beginning of this journey, as a clear, strong, sure. They teach us to do the moves, the movement, choices. "Release" and "Forward" became the key verbs, the words written in the heart. Yes, because maybe it will happen more often have to do these operations on the inside, in the secret soul, where only we can see. Where only the Lord is faithful, even for us it does this wonderful word of gospel, so bright and strong that changes your life.
* "Now." Twice, Matthew shows us in welcoming the readiness of the disciples the Lord is passing by, his gaze, his voice for them. They do not put obstacles, no doubt, have no fear, but trust him blindly, respond immediately, saying yes to that Love.
In a crescendo, Matthew sliding before our eyes all the elements that inspired the scene, on the shore of the sea: nets, boats, the father ... it slips away into the background, is left aside. There remains only the Lord who goes before and behind him, called the four, new men, that they carry our name, the story that God wrote for us.
Some questions
* The horizon of this Gospel story, and then the grace that God still does for us is the sea, a clear sea, which has a name, its geography. I can, before the Word of God, at this moment, to give a precise face the horizon of my life? I have the inner peace to lay bare before the eyes of Christ, my life as it is, my Galilee, my sea? Did I fear that the water in my heart, like a menacing sea, dark, enemy? I can allow the Lord to walk through my bank? I can let myself look like Andrea, as Simon, James and John?
* And if I'm silent at this moment, if I leave the steps of Jesus really are as close to me to leave my poor sand on his prints of love, friendship, then I have the courage to let me get by His eyes full of light? Or continue to hide a bit ', to escape, to hide somewhere in part, that I do not want to see or accept?
And again, I let him talk to me, tell me, perhaps for the first time: "Come after me"? Or prefer to just keep listening to the sound of the sea, its waves of invading, broken?
* This Gospel speaks to me very strongly of the company of brothers, I speak of my being son, lays bare the deepest part of the heart, enter the intimacy of home. Perhaps this is the place where there is more pain for me, where I do not feel understood, accepted and loved as I? For the Lord puts his finger in my wound? Brothers, father, mother, friends ... Jesus is all this for me, and much more. I feel it really so? There is room for Him in my house? And how is my relationship with him? As a brother, friend, son? Or do you only know from a distance, the surface of escape?
* It seems very clear that this passage the Lord does great things in the life of the disciples: "I make you fishers of men," he tells them. How to react to this discovery? I let myself be touched by Him, truly, really? I want to let me change your life? With Him I want to start a new adventure, looking for brothers and sisters who need to meet, to know, to feel loved by his infinite love? I can be a fisher of men, like Andrew and his brothers.
* We have just one thing: the decision, the decision to follow the Lord, to walk behind him tried to stop a moment longer ... What I have to leave today to take this step important? What is holding me back, I silt, which does not allow me to move? What weight in my heart, soul? Perhaps born in me the need to confess, to open my heart. Porto now written into the look that he has laid on me, his words, stronger than the sound of the sea, I can not pretend nothing happened. The Lord is in the past has left a mark. I am no longer that of my first ... I mean yes, as Andrew. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Your Word, Lord is a lamp to my feet.
How can the young walk without fault?
Only by keeping your words.
With all my heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commands.
In my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your laws.
With my lips I recite all the edicts you have spoken.
I find joy in the way of your decrees more than in all riches.
I will ponder your precepts and consider your paths.
In your laws I take delight; I will never forget your word.
(From Psalm 119)
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