Feast of Saint Andrew, apostle
The story of the calling of the apostles in the gospel reading today is remarkable for at least two reasons. First, it is the story of Jesus calling fishermen to be disciples. It is surprising that Jesus initially chose humble, relatively uneducated people to be his disciples, rather than those who were highly educated in religion. Yet, these disciples, including Peter and his brother Andrew, went on to do great things in spreading the good news and building up the church. This is in fact an inspiring point.
The implication is that we can be of service to God no matter what we perceive our personal limitations to be. Second, it is noteworthy how quickly Peter and Andrew responded to Jesus. They did not delay or give excuses. They followed him immediately, leaving their fishing nets on the beach. Notice that in doing this they gave up the source of their income and their livelihood—essentially they quit their jobs in order to follow Jesus. How meaning people would do the same thing today?
In this advent season it is appropriate to consider whether our response to Jesus is as immediate as that of the fishermen whom he first called to be his disciples. Is there anything holding us back? Do we have attachments to the world that hold us back from following him immediately? Second, it also raises the question of what Jesus is calling us to do. Is he calling us to go outside of our routine, to do something new for the sake of building his kingdom? If we are called by Christ to follow him, then we are also called to do something. This may be something as simple as sharing God’s love with those whom we encounter in our daily lives. Or perhaps it may mean going out of our way to reach out to other people—who may be near to us or far away.
The readings today recognize the importance of apostles and missionaries and their role in turning people’s attention to Christ. Today is the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. Andrew is notable not just for having been one of the first apostles called by Christ. According to tradition he was crucified on an X-shaped cross while on a missionary journey to Greece. An early account of his martyrdom attests that Andrew preached while he was hanging on a cross for two days. This shows remarkable dedication and faithfulness to the last. Today he is considered one of the patrons of Scotland, Greece, and Russia.
In memory of Andrew and the other apostles, let us keep in mind and pray for those who at work sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and ministering to the needs of people in our country and around the world, especially those who are working places where Christians are in a minority.
- Joel Schickle