The one who brings others to Jesus
November 30, 2023 - Thursday, Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Matthew 4:18-22
Today, the Gospel of Matthew tells us about the call of the first disciples. Till that moment, Jesus was alone; from now on, he will always be in the company of his disciples. With their call, Jesus begins to establish a new Israel that will bring the light of the Gospel to the whole world. They are called to be the fishers of people, namely recruiting others for God's kingdom. Although four ordinary fishermen do not look like a force able to transform the world, their calling explains the meaning of the parable of the mustard seed (Matt 13:31-32), namely that insignificant beginnings of God's kingdom lead to the renewal of the entire world.
Today, the universal Church celebrates the feast of Saint Andrew, one of those being called by Jesus and so let us focus our attention on him. In John’s Gospel, Andrew is the disciple of John the Baptist and upon hearing the testimony of the Baptist about Jesus, “this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, he follows Christ. Together with John the Evangelist, they spent the whole day with Christ and the first thing Andrew did after that was to find his brother, Peter, and announced to him the Good news: "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:35-41). The one about whom the entire Old Testament was speaking and the entire world was waiting for finally appeared on the earth. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
But Andrew did not only tell Peter, the Good News, he also brought Peter to Jesus (John 1:42) and this quality is worth mentioning. Each time Andrew is mentioned in John’s Gospel, he is bringing someone to Christ: his brother, the boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish, and the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus (6:8-9; 12:22). That is a beautiful testimony about him. No one can foresee, when he brings a man or woman to Jesus, what Jesus will make of that person. Peter became the leader among the apostles, the little offering of the boy led to an incredible miracle of the multiplication of bread, and by mentioning to Jesus the desire of the Greeks to see the Lord, he prepares us for the mission of the Church to the Gentiles after Christ’s resurrection.
What happened to Saint Andrew after Jesus’ resurrection remains unknown. There is an ancient Christian tradition indicating that he preached the Gospel in the regions around the Black Sea and even went as far as Kiev in present day Ukraine. It is said that he was crucified in a Greek city of Patras in 60 AD but as an act of humility he asked to be fastened to a different type of cross. And so, we see the icons of St. Andrew holding to a cross in a shape of the letter X. Saint Andrew is patron saint of fishermen and women wishing to get married.
Let us end this reflection with this prayer:
O Glorious Saint Andrew,
you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God.
With your friend Saint John you remained
with Jesus for that first day,
for your entire life, and now throughout eternity.
As you led your brother Saint Peter to Christ and many others after him,
draw us also to Him.
Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for Him
and dedication in His service.
Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross
and to carry our daily crosses without complaint
so that they may carry us to Jesus. Amen.