Like St. Andrew, we can follow Jesus and share His love with all we meet
Reflections on the readings for the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30, 2019): ROM 10:9-18; PS 19:8,9,10,11; MT 4:18-22
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days
On this feast of St. Andrew, we celebrate one of the Twelve, an Apostle committed to following Christ.
Yet, like many of this vital group, we know little about him. There are only a handful of references to him in the Gospels. Unlike his brother St. Peter, who was very close to our Lord, Andrew was simply a member of the larger group. However, he certainly was open to the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus and immediately gave up his life as a fisherman on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Instead, like the others, he journeyed to Jerusalem and little towns and villages around it for three years so that Christ could preach words of mercy and redemption to their fellow Jews. After the death and resurrection of our Savior, he set out to bring the Good News to all who would listen. “As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!… Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:15, 17).
It is thought that St. Andrew served as a missionary to Byzantium, Russia and Greece where he was martyred. According to tradition, he asked to be crucified on an X-shaped cross because he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. And because he gave himself to our Lord, this ordinary man did extraordinary things in sharing the message of salvation.
Suggested missionary action: Let us ask St. Andrew to protect the Church’s missionaries of today and all the people they serve. Let us also ask him to help us share the Gospel with all we meet.