NOVEMBER 30, 2017 : FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW, APOSTLE

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Lectionary: 684

Reading 1ROM 10:9-18

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.

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.

AlleluiaMT 4:19

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.

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Meditation: "I will make you fishers of people"

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 Galilee - 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." 

Jesus chooses ordinary people to do great things for his kingdom
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 become under his direction and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

When the Lord Jesus calls each of 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 in and through you for his glory?

Jesus calls each of us to bring the joy of the Gospel to those around us
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 personally 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."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus chooses them for what they can become, by an anonymous early author from the Greek church

"'Before he says or does anything, he calls the apostles so nothing may be concealed from them as to Christ's words or works and they may later say in confidence: 'For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:20). He sees them not bodily but spiritually, regarding not their appearance but their hearts. And he chooses them not as apostles but because they could become apostles. Just as an artist who sees precious, and not rough-hewn, stones chooses them - not because of what they are but because of what they can become. Like the sensitive artist who does not spurn the unshaped good - so too the Lord, upon seeing them, does not choose their works but their hearts." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 7, the Greek fathers).

www.dailyscripture.net

FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW, APOSTLE
THURSDAY, 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 teachings and 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 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. 

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Thursday 30 November 2017

St Andrew.

Romans 10:9-18. Psalm 18(19):2-5. Matthew 4:18-22.

Their message goes out through all the earth — Psalm 18(19):2-5.

‘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.

www.pray.com.au

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.

www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=403

LECTIO DIVINA: ST. ANDREW, THE APOSTLE

Lectio Divina: 

 Thursday, November 30, 2017

Matthew 4:18-22

The call of Andrew and his brother.
The first disciples fishers of men.

1) Prayer

O Father, you called St. Andrew from the net of the world to become 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 formed 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 our life more beautiful.

2) 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.

3) 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). He emerged victorious, secure in His love of the Father, and came into Galilee and dwelt in Capernaum on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and of Nephthalim, bringing His great light and His salvation (Mt 4, 12-16). 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 since the Lord Jesus has arrived in our land, Galilee, among the Gentiles. He is very close, He is God-with-us. He is not far away and does not stay hidden. He "walks", along the sea and along the shores of our poor lives. Indeed, even more. Galilee, meaning "ring", tells us that He, being love, is to marry and 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 deep from the heart. Thus the Lord sees us, as readers, with loving attention to browse the pages of our lives, and who knows everything about us, everything He loves.

* It is no accident that Matthew often uses a particular vocabulary to describe this episode of family vocation. In this encounter with the Lord Jesus we find the word "brother" four times and the word "father"two times.  We discover that we too are sons and brothers. Jesus enters our reality in a most human way everyday. He enters the fl[3] esh, in the heart, in my entire life, to make us born again.

* "Follow me." These are His words, simple and clear. He asks us to set out, to move,  to "come to Him." It is a nice feeling to awaken to this voice that reaches us and is stronger and sweeter than the voice of the waters of the sea in the world which are noisy and confused. When He speaks to the heart, it becomes a great calm, and calm returns. Then He offers a course, marks the path to follow, and does not let us lose. "Follow me," says the Lord. Just accept the invitation, accept Him to know more, and just follow him as He opens the road.

"They left and followed." The two brothers, the first called, Peter and Andrew, become for us the beginning of this journey, as a clear, strong decision. They teach us to do the moves, the movement, to choose. "Release" and "Forward" become the key verbs and the words are written in the heart. Maybe we will often have to make these changes on the inside, in the secret soul, where only we can see. This is where the Lord is faithful. For us it does this wonderful thing, this word of the  Gospel, so bright and strong that it changes your life.

* "Now." Matthew shows us twice the welcoming and readiness of the disciples as the Lord is passing by, with His gaze and His voice for them. They do not put up obstacles. There is no doubt or fear, and they trust Him blindly and respond immediately, saying yes to that Love.

In a crescendo, Matthew slides before our eyes all the elements that inspired the scene on the shore of the sea: nets, boats, the father, then it slips away into the background and is left aside. There remains only the Lord who goes before, and behind Him are the four new, called men. They carry our name, the story that God wrote for us.

4) Some questions

    * The horizon of this Gospel story and the grace that God still does for us is like the sea, a clear sea, which has a name and a geography. Can I, before the Word of God, at this moment, give a precise image of the horizon of my life? Do I have the inner peace to lay bare my life as it is, my Galilee, my sea, before the eyes of Christ? Do I fear that water in my heart, like a menacing sea, dark and empty? Can I allow the Lord to walk along my bank? Can I let myself look like Andrew, or as Simon, James or John?

    * And if I'm silent at this moment, if I believe the steps of Jesus really are as close to me as to leave my poor sand on His prints of love and friendship, then do I have the courage to let myself look into His eyes full of light? Or do I continue to hide a bit, to escape, to hide somewhere such that I do not want to see or accept?

    And again, do I let Him talk to me, tell me, perhaps for the first time: "Come after me"? Or do I prefer to just keep listening to the sound of the sea, its waves invading and breaking on the shore?

    * This Gospel speaks to me very strongly of the company of brothers. I speak of my being a son. It lays bare the deepest part of the heart, like 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 am? For the Lord puts His finger in my wound. Brothers, father, mother, friends... Jesus is all this for me, and much more. Do I really feel it? Is there room for Him in my house? And how is my relationship with him? Is it as a brother, or friend, or a son? Do you only know from a distance?

    * It seems very clear that in this passage the Lord does great things in the life of the disciples. "I will make you fishers of men" He tells them. How do you react to this discovery? Do I let myself be touched by Him, really and truly? Do you want to let Him change your life? With Him I want to start a new adventure, looking for brothers and sisters who need to meet, to know and 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 to follow the Lord and to walk behind Him. What do I have to leave today to take this important step? What is holding me back which does not allow me to move? What weight in my heart, my soul? Perhaps I have in me the need to confess, to open my heart. My answer is now written into the look that He has laid on me, His words being stronger than the sound of the sea and I can not pretend that nothing has happened. The Lord  has left a mark. I am no longer what I was. I mean yes, as did  Andrew. Amen.

5) 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.

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