“WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH!”: A SHORT STORY ABOUT SAINT ANDREW
(A biblical refection on the Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle – 30 November 2012)
Gospel Reading: Matthew 4:18-22
First Reading: Rom 10:9-18; Psalms: Ps 19:2-5
The Scripture Text
As He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. (Mt 4:18-22 RSV)
Saint Andrew was one of Jesus’ first disciples. As a close disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew took the things of God very seriously. Such dedication shows that for a long time he probably had a deep desire to know God personally. You can just imagine the joy he must have experienced when he first met Jesus.
When Jesus saw Andrew casting his net into the Sea of Galilee, He invited him to become a “fisher of men,” to draw people into the Kingdom with the net of the Gospel (Mt 4:19). Andrew immediately obeyed, gladly exchanging material advantage for spiritual reward. His confidence in Jesus grew quickly as he boldly told Simon Peter: “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn 1:41). It was Andrew, after all, who introduced Peter, James, John (and who knows how many others?) to Jesus.
When Jesus called the disciples, He chose ordinary people like Andrew, people with no real wealth, status, education, or social standing. He didn’t choose their works or their gifts; He chose their hearts. He chose them not for what they were, but for what they could become under His direction and power. The same is true for us. Jesus is calling each of us into an intimate relationship with Himself and inviting us into His way of holiness. He wants to transform us through His Spirit so that we can imitate Andrew and the other dedicated men and women who gave all for the love of Christ. Many of these saints lived hidden lives and performed daily miracles of sacrificial love. Jesus invites us to be like them, as we follow Him more closely.
What does it cost to follow the Lord? Saint Gregory the Great once said: “The Kingdom of heaven has no price tag on it: It is worth as much as you have. For Zacchaeus it was worth half of what he owned, because the other half that he had unjustly pocketed he promised to restore fourfold. For Peter and Andrew it was worth the nets and vessel they had left behind; for the widow it was worth two copper coins; for another it was worth a cup of cold water.” What does your price tag say?
Short Prayer: Heavenly Father, You called Saint Andrew Your apostle to preach the Gospel and to guide Your Church. We humbly pray that he may always plead for us in Your presence. We make our prayer in the most precious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.