Come After Me, And I Will Make You Fishers Of Men

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Reading I
Romans 10:9-18
Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart
and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth
and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him
will be put to shame.
There is no distinction
between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him
in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him
of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear
without someone to preach?
And how can people preach
unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet
of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says,
Lord, who has believed
what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard
comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for:
Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
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Responsorial
Psalm 19
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
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Gospel
Matthew 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter,
and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea;
they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me,
and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets
and followed him.
He walked along from there
and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee,
and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee,
mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately
they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
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St. Andrew

Andrew was St. Peter’s brother, and was called with him. "As [Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him" (Matthew 4:18-20).

John the Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. "Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day" (John 1:38-39a).

Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the loaves, it was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had the barley loaves and fishes (see John 6:8-9). When the Gentiles went to see Jesus, they came to Philip, but Philip then had recourse to Andrew (see John 12:20-22).

Legend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what is now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras.

Comment:

As in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News, to heal with Jesus' power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people.

Quote:

“...[T]he Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word’” (Acts 6:2-4).

Patron Saint of:
Fishermen
Greece
Russia
Scotland

Saint of the Day
American Catholic.org