Homily Feast of Andrew the Apostle
Feast of Andrew the Apostle (Mt. 4:18-22) “Jesus Wants You”
Fish were a staple of the diet of the people of Palestine in the first century. The fish that were caught in the Sea of Galilee were pickled and sent long distances so that they might be sold. Peter and Andrew and their family probably had a successful business that they were running. We presume that they had other people working for them.
Fishing was back breaking work to be sure, but the fishermen Jesus recruited were businessmen as much as they were laborers. We might speculate that the fishermen Jesus recruited looked forward to going on a great adventure. But they had to know that their business would suffer with their absence. It was truly a sacrifice for them to leave their lives and follow Jesus and to become his apostles.
Another thing that the apostles left were their families. Most of the apostles were probably married. It was rare for a Jewish man to remain single. We could wonder what the wives and children of Peter and Andrew, James and John thought when they left the homes to follow Jesus. What did the parents of these men think? Were they happy?
Jesus must have had an extraordinary personality to be able to call these men away from all the responsibilities that they had. Jesus must have been persuasive, but he had to have help with his arguments.
In the Gospel of John, it is Andrew that brings Peter to see Jesus. We might say that Andrew was Jesus’ vocation director. What was Jesus offering the Apostles? He was offering them wisdom. He was offering them meaning for their lives. The other rewards only became apparent later. Jesus did not seem embarrassed about pulling his disciples away from the life they had always known.
Ultimately it was their choice. When we invite others to be Christian today, it is everyone’s personal choice. We chose to follow Jesus. If we believe this was a good option in our life, we ought to be glad when others decide to become Christian and encourage them.
Reflection Questions:
- Do I look at Christian life as a gift to share? If not, why not?
- How many people have I invited to follow Jesus in my life? Who might I ask?
Dear Parishioners,
For the last 20 years I have helped direct retreats at St. Mary Monastery in Milan. Last year, however, we had to cancel the retreat because of he pandemic. This year we have scheduled the retreat again. It will take place beginning the Sunday of Martin Luther King Day weekend which is January 16th. The retreat runs until the following Wednesday.
This is a silent retreat. Retreatants meet with a spiritual director every day and there is Mass and prayer. If you are interested, you can contact the Benet House at St. Mary and they will reserve a place for you.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you.
Fr. Mark