Bible
Study: Romans 10, 9 to 18. And Matthew 4, 18 to 22.
Every
year, the church calculates the date of Advent based on when the feast of St.
Andrew occurs. This is because the feast of St. Andrew remains a defining point
for our understanding of the true spirit of Advent. The life of St. Andrew we know
was one of complete detachment as we read in today’s Gospel passage. The moment
Jesus said “come after me and I will make you fishers of men,” Simon and Andrew
his brother left everything they were doing at once and followed Jesus.
Advent is
a time of detachment. Recalling the words of Jesus in yesterday’s Gospel
passage, “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with
dissipation and drunkenness and CARES OF THIS LIFE, and that day come upon you
suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the
whole earth. But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to
escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of
man.” Luke 21, 34 to 36. When we are solely concerned about meeting the cares
of this life, we lose touch with God and it is impossible to serve both God and
money.
Another aspect
of the life of this great saint that defines the spirit of Advent was the fact
that he was a person who always brought people to God. That is to say, Andrew
knew how to prepare the minds of people and he always did background work
before bringing them to Christ. Although today’s Gospel passage depicts the
calling of Simon and Andrew as something that happened at the same time, the
Gospel of John gives us a different picture. According to John, Andrew was
first a disciple of John the Baptist and when John the Baptist pointed out
Jesus as the Lamb of God, he and the other disciple of John walked up to Jesus
and asked, “Master, where do you stay?” Then Jesus said: “Come and See.”
As the Gospel
of John puts it: “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon, and said to
him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him, and said, “So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be
called Cephas” (which means Peter). John 1, 40 to 42. Even though Simon become
more prominent than Andrew later on, Andrew did not seem to be bothered, he had
done his job, he had brought the best candidate to Jesus.
Again, at
the miracle of the multiplication of loaves, while the other disciples were scampering
around thinking of what to do, Andrew was the one who brought the little boy
with five loaves and two fish to Jesus. John 6, verse 8. I guess, Andrew must
have spoken to this boy in a manner that he was willing to render his entire
lunch box to Jesus and I am sure if Andrew had not brought this boy to Jesus,
that miracle would not have occurred.
In the course
of his life, Andrew continued his mission of bringing people to Jesus by
preparing their minds. And it was precisely for this beautiful work of
spreading the message of Christ that he was persecuted in an “X” shaped cross. As
we are told, he did not die immediately but suffered terribly on that cross for
two whole days still preaching to the people who had gathered to watch his
crucifixion. Here was a preacher par excellence, he continued to preach up till
his very last breath.
Thanks to
the preaching of St. Andrew, many were converted to the faith and came to
believe that Jesus Christ is lord thereby leading to their salvation. This is
what St. Paul sings about in the first reading, “How beautiful are the feet of
those who bring the good news.” The task of preaching is central to the
salvation of souls.
Preaching is
the first of the chain of processes that brings people to heaven. As St. Paul analyses,
“For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But how are
men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to
believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without
a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written,
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!" Romans
10, 13 to 15.
Are you a
preacher? Today’s message should greatly encourage you. Keep on spreading the Good
News. You are contributing greatly to the salvation of souls. And like Andrew,
note that you are cannot preach well unless you are completely detached, that
is, unless you actually leave everything behind to follow Jesus. What makes
modern day preaching ineffective is that preachers are still very much attached
to the world and preaching itself has now become a means of increasing in
wealth and worldly goods, these days, the truth itself is sacrificed on the altar
of entertainment. Preaching is not about making anyone feel good or saying what
they like to hear, preaching is delivering God’s message just as it is, that it
may cut through stony hearts and bring about repentance.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, grant me the grace of true detachment from the world and grant that
through my life, many may be brought closer to you, O Lord. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.
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