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.
AlleluiaMT 4:19
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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: "This is the LORD -
we have waited for him
What can satisfy the deepest hunger and longing of the
human heart? Isaiah prophesied that God would provide a heavenly banquet for
all peoples and would destroy death once and for all (Isaiah 25:6-8). Jesus
came to fulfill that promise. Jesus' miracles are both a sign of God’s kingdom
and a demonstration of God's power. They also show the magnitude of God’s
mercy.
When the disciples were confronted by Jesus with the
task of feeding four thousand people many miles away from any source of food,
they exclaimed: Where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread
to feed them? The Israelites were confronted with the same dilemma
when they fled Egypt and found themselves in a barren wilderness. Like the
miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness, Jesus, himself provides bread
in abundance for the hungry crowd who came out into the desert to seek him. The
gospel records that all were satisfied and they took up what was leftover.
In the multiplication of the loaves and fishes we see
a sign and a symbol of what God always does. God knows our needs and he cares.
When God gives, he gives in abundance. The gospel account records that the leftovers
from the miraculous meal was more than seven times the amount they began with.
Seven is a symbol of completion and wholeness. When God gives, he gives until
we are satisfied. When God works for his people he gives abundantly - more than
we could deserve and more than we need. He nourishes us with his life-giving
word and with the bread of heaven. In the kingdom of heaven God will feast us
at his banquet table. Are you satisfied with God's provision for you? And do
you long with expectant hope for the coming of his kingdom in all its fullness?
Lord Jesus, you alone can satisfy the longing and
hunger in our hearts. May I thirst for your kingdom and find joy in your
presence. Give me the true bread of heaven and nourish me with your life-giving
word."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The joy of the hope rooted in Christ, by
Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"Having said that the Lord will reign in Zion and
Jerusalem, Isaiah leads us to the mystical meaning of the passage (Isaiah
25:6-10). Thus Zion is interpreted as a high place that is good for
surveillance, and Jerusalem is the vision of the world. In fact, the church of Christ
combines both: it is high and visible from everywhere, and is, so to speak,
located on the mountain. The church may be understood as high also in another
way: there is nothing low in it, it is far removed from all the mundane things,
as it is written, 'I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in
the earth!' (Psalm 47:7-8). Equally elevated are its orthodox and divine
doctrines; thus the doctrine about God or about the holy and consubstantial
Trinity is true, pure and without guile.
"'The Lord of hosts will make for all people,' not just for the Israelites elected for the sake of their patriarchs but for all the people of the world. What will he make? 'A feast of wines on the lees; they will drink joy, they will drink wine. They will be anointed with myrrh on the mountain.' This joy, of course, means the joy of hope, of the hope rooted in Christ, because we will reign with him, and with him we will enjoy every spiritual joy and pleasure that surpasses mind and understanding. By 'wine' he points to the mystical sacrament, that of the bloodless sacrifice, which we celebrate in the holy churches." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 25:6-7)
"'The Lord of hosts will make for all people,' not just for the Israelites elected for the sake of their patriarchs but for all the people of the world. What will he make? 'A feast of wines on the lees; they will drink joy, they will drink wine. They will be anointed with myrrh on the mountain.' This joy, of course, means the joy of hope, of the hope rooted in Christ, because we will reign with him, and with him we will enjoy every spiritual joy and pleasure that surpasses mind and understanding. By 'wine' he points to the mystical sacrament, that of the bloodless sacrifice, which we celebrate in the holy churches." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON ISAIAH 25:6-7)
FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW, APOSTLE
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, MATTHEW 4:18-22
(Romans 10:9-18; Psalm 19)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, MATTHEW 4:18-22
(Romans 10:9-18; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men" (v 19).
TO KNOW: As Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, he encountered two pair of brothers going about 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.
TO LOVE: Let us "who hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles" continue in our own time to hand on the faith that we have received, just as the apostles did in their time. [Eucharistic Prayer I]
TO SERVE: St. Andrew, help me to respond wholeheartedly to Jesus' invitation to follow him as you did.
FEAST OF SAINT 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). 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. After Andrew had stayed with Jesus and had learned from him, he hastened to share this with his brother Peter. And 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 some Gentiles wanted to see Jesus, they came to Philip first, but Philip turned to Andrew who brought them to Jesus (Jn 12:20-22). Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Legend has it that Andrew preached the gospel 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.
Wednesday 30 November 2016
Wed 30th. St Andrew.
Romans 10:9-18. Their message goes out through all the
earth—Ps 18(19):2-5. Matthew 4:18-22.
'Our calling in life'
The calling of the disciples has so much
relevance for us today. Most of us at some point in our lives will discern our
vocational calling. Perhaps we are drawn to being a teacher, a writer, a doctor
or a journalist? Jesus calls mostly fisherman to a different kind of 'fishing',
that of evangelisation. Now, we might not have the express physical tangible
Jesus to call us to set down our nets (or our pens or our iPads) to follow him,
but we are nonetheless called in this way. Perhaps today, you might think about
your vocation, and how you might best serve God in what you have chosen to do,
and what ways you might glorify the Lord by your life.
ST. ANDREW, APOSTLE
On Nov. 30, Catholics
worldwide celebrate the feast of St. Andrew, apostle and martyr. A
fisherman from Bethsaida and brother of Simon Peter, St. Andrew is said to have
spread Christianity in Russia and Asia minor after Pentecost in the first
century. He was crucified by the Romans in Greece on an X-shaped cross, which
is now his distinctive symbol as well as the symbol of Scotland, of which he is
the patron.
St. Andrew
demonstrated his love for his brother as well as his apostolic zeal when,
convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, he sought out St. Peter. “Andrew,
the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed
Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, 'we have found the
Messiah.' Then he brought him to Jesus.” (Jn. 1:40-42)
Some of St. Andrew's
remains were brought to Scotland in the fourth century, though parts of his
skeleton lie in the crypt of the cathedral in Amalfi, Italy, where they are
removed twice a year and produce a clear, water like substance. The substance,
called “manna,” is said to have miraculous attributes.
LECTIO DIVINA: ST. ANDREW, THE
APOSTLE
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Matthew 4, 18-22
The call of Andrew and his brother
The first disciples fishers of men
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.
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.
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.
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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