Come After Me

Email not displaying correctly? View in your browser.

Minute Meditations Looking Ahead We look ahead to the coming of the Son of Man, standing erect and with heads held high. We live in hope, not in fear. Our experience of God is no longer limited by human weakness or even human sinfulness. God has always been one step ahead of us, with a plan that exceeds our greatest desires. — from The Little Way of Advent November 30 St. Andrew Andrew was St. Peter's brother, and was called with him. "As 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. Story: "...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 of the Apostles 6:2--4). 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: Patron Saint of: Fishermen Greece Russia Scotland Daily Prayer - 2015-12-01 Presence "I stand at the door and knock," says the Lord. What a wonderful privilege that the Lord of all creation desires to come to me. I welcome His presence. Freedom Lord you gave me life and the gift of freedom. Through Your love I exist in this world. May I never take the gift of life for granted. May I always respect the right to life of others. Consciousness Where do I sense hope, encouragement, and growth areas in my life? By looking back over the last few months, I may be able to see which activities and occasions have produced rich fruit. If I do notice such areas, I will determine to give those areas both time and space in the future. The Word of God Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle Reading 1 Rom 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. Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11 R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just. or: R. (John 6:63) 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. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just. or: 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. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just. or: 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. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just. or: 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. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just. or: R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life. Alleluia Mt 4:19 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 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. - - - Some thoughts on today's scripture Lord, joy is the hallmark of the relationship between you and your Father. This joy filled you with energy for mission. Jesus, you are the icon of the Father. You come among us not in greatness but as a 'little one' in lowliness and humility. As you reveal yourself to us each day, help me to play my part in sharing the joy of the Gospel. Conversation Do I notice myself reacting as I pray with the Word of God? Do I feel challenged, comforted, angry? Imagining Jesus sitting or standing by me, I speak out my feelings, as one trusted friend to another. Conclusion I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text. Meditation: Matthew 4:18-22 View NAB Reading at USCCB.org Subscriber? Login to view archives. Saint Andrew, Apostle (Feast) Peter, and his brother Andrew ... (Matthew 4:18) When we first meet Andrew in Matthew's Gospel, he is fishing with his brother Peter. In fact, all four Gospels regularly identify Andrew with Peter. Does this mean he is just a sidekick to the lead apostle, kind of like Robin was to Batman? No, their relationship is much more equal, more like Paul and Barnabas. Neither brother would have been the man they were without the other. Neither of them would have developed their unique gifts without the relationship and solidarity they had together. They needed each other! As a disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew was one of the first to follow Jesus. He's the one who evangelized his brother Peter, in fact! So clearly, Peter would have been a very different man had it not been for Andrew. His simple, steady faith must have made a deep impact on the impulsive fisherman. And for his part, Andrew most likely thrived under Peter's leadership as the infant Church began to spread out from Jerusalem in the days after Pentecost. Even though Andrew was not often in the limelight, people knew him as someone to depend on, whether it was the boy who gave him his loaves and fishes (John 6:8-9) or Philip, who asked him what to do with the Greeks who wanted to meet Jesus (12:20-22). Andrew was happy to work behind the scenes, and his steady faith produced a lot of fruit! This is what makes Andrew a perfect model for us. Perhaps you see yourself as a simple, everyday Catholic. You may not have a big platform to evangelize. You may not have an important role in your parish. You may not have much influence over other people. But you are not just a sidekick. Like Andrew, you are a pillar of the Church. It just wouldn't be the same without you. We don't often see the impact that we have on the Church. We don't often know how much of a difference our intercessions make in the grand scheme of things. But God knows. He treasures every one of our prayers, and he rejoices every time we turn from temptation and trust in him. So keep on following the Lord; we need you! "Lord, thank you for calling me into your service! Thank you for giving me an essential role to play in your Church!" Romans 10:9-18 Psalm 19:8-11 Podcast Page: http://hipcast.com/podcast/HjrMXFsk my2cents: In today's 1st Holy Scripture it began with "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."  Some protestants believe simply by this affirmation that that's it, nothing else is needed for salvation, just say it...but what about the second part?  The part that says believe!  Because the rest of the scripture describes the second half of the condition, the part about believing, and this is the faith, this is where we are at.  Over and over St. Paul talks about the belief and towards the end says today "...faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ."  This is why in the Catholic Church we've had since the time of Jesus has sacred Tradition, with a big captial "T" because we carry what was there from the beginning, even before the bible, we carry on what was heard, and then it was written, and then it was used to describe the Holy Faith.  And the tradition is of belief.  It is all about believing in what Jesus said and doing what He said, in rememberance of Him and remaining with Him until He comes again.  Because I can say so many things and not really believe.  I can pray a whole lot, without any meaning.  I can do alot of things for Him, but out of obligation, or seeking to be good with others, but what about the real belief?  And we are speaking about a real, Holy, authentic, and lived faith! The Psalms pray on "Your Words, Lord, Are Spirit and Life".  What our Lord says goes.  Because Love is a never ending act of self giving.  Last night an old friend called, tore up about his situation with his son not respecting him, calling him a drunkard and worse, accusing him of many things and not helping.  I see the disaster of divorce still hounding that family, and it tears me up to see them suffer.  He asked me for advice.  I knew from the onset I would need God's help to answer his questions.  Jesus' words were called to mind "forgive 70 times 7".  Forgive your son.  Forgive your father.  Fathers, respect your children.  Children, respect your father.  It is a reciprocating act of love, because God is eternal love.  I said "you are the father, now act like one" because so many times we make out what others say to be more than what it is.  Take a step into grace, and react with the Father's love from Heaven.  And if the child does not appreciate, then let it be a lesson of love "this father loved even those that didn't love Him back!"  Remember, self sacrifice, remember, because healing is being called for and the evil loves attention to make things worse.  Now focus on the Lord, and focus when He calls. In today's Holy Gospel, our Lord calls out two men, "follow Me" (come after Me) is all He says to them as they were going on their daily lives.  Jesus is calling you right now in what is your daily life.  Follow Me.  Follow Me and just trust Me.  He is taking their lives and they are giving their lives to Him.  Follow Me.  And they leave everything, a few steps further as Andrews and Simon followed Jesus, our Lord says to two more men "follow Me" and they left their work and their family, their earthly father to follow their Heavenly Father walking on earth...Jesus.  The honor of giving our life to God is unknown until now.  It is a revelation of giving glory to God. Because as I have said before, the saddest lamentations in hell or even purgatory could be heard "I should've known!" and the crying and beating of chests ensues.  I should've known that God was there!  I should've known I could have followed!  I could have, but I didn't.  During thanksgiving out of town, a brother in law gave a puppy to my son who was looking forward to it for weeks.  The dog was brought the next day by relatives and the boy, Cristian, fed him every day, cleaned his poop from the garage, and was looking online how to train dogs for a while.  Yesterday we jumped in my truck to go to Mass and the puppy was jumping on our legs and we hopped on fast because it was cold and time to go.  I backed up super-slow, because I couldn't see the puppy so I was being careful.  I didn't see him and assumed he followed our old dog "Blue" (blue heeler) back into the garage.  After Mass as we ate out, we got the news that the puppy was found dead, ran over.  It could've been us on our rush out.  The news was tragedy to my son.  He was teary eyed as we were eating. I asked him to not cry, and said things to comfort him.  Later when we were home I asked him to go outside in the cold to help me bury the puppy.  It was a black puppy with white paws and a white tipped tail.  It was a mut, but it didn't matter.  We prayed and I asked for comfort for Cris and our ability to give back to God what was His, and I said "we are all His, and we will all be called by Him".  Perhaps they were too deep of words for him, but I hope he remembers.  I thought he was ok for the rest of the day, but as we said "good night" I said "I'm sorry about your puppy bud, it'll be ok".  I think it sprang emotions as I heard him sniffling later, crying himself to sleep.  What in the world does all this sad puppy dog have to do with anything Mr. Adrian!?  I should've known.  I should've got off, been more careful, tied up the dog, I should've...cared more.  And right now, what you should be knowing is that God is calling you to a faith like no other.  I liked when I heard one time "you can love God more than anybody".  The saints are only known by their love, their response to the call of the Lord.  And when He calls, you know it, you feel it tugging at you, and you just get up and follow.  Sin will block the call.  That is why holiness is being called for in this faith.  Believing is faith, and faith is equated with love.  Being in love with God is believing in our Lord Jesus.  I want you to take a deep breath and say it "Lord, I know you are calling me right now, I'm ready to go". I'm ready to let go of all these earthly things. I'm ready to let go of all my earthly fears. I'm ready to let go of all my doubts in you. I'm ready, and I've been waiting Lord. My life is ready, and the great part is, You're ready. Let's go...daddy adrian Subscribe to the visit Going4th.com mailing list.

visit Going4th.com,