The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, the Feast of Saint Andrew, reminds us of our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader to spread the Good News of Christ.
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans rejoices about the feet of those who bring the “good news!”
* [10:9–11] To confess Jesus as Lord was frequently quite hazardous in the first century (cf. Mt 10:18; 1 Thes 2:2; 1 Pt 2:18–21; 3:14). For a Jew it could mean disruption of normal familial and other social relationships, including great economic sacrifice. In the face of penalties imposed by the secular world, Christians are assured that no one who believes in Jesus will be put to shame (Rom 10:11). (Romans, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)
Psalm 19 praises God’s Glory in Creation and the Law.
* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem. (Psalms, PSALM 19, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Calls the First Disciples.
* [4:18–22] The call of the first disciples promises them a share in Jesus’ work and entails abandonment of family and former way of life. Three of the four, Simon, James, and John, are distinguished among the disciples by a closer relation with Jesus (Mt 17:1; 26:37).
* [4:20] Here and in Mt 4:22, as in Mark (Mk 1:16–20) and unlike the Lucan account (Lk 5:1–11), the disciples’ response is motivated only by Jesus’ invitation, an element that emphasizes his mysterious power. (Matthew, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)
Andy Alexander, S.J. (2000) asks what opens us most often to hear invitation?
I think, if we all would reflect upon our experience, it is some experience of failure or powerlessness, some experience of being brought low. The events, wounds, sinfulness that leave us raw, exposed or numb are the graces that prepare us for invitation. The redemptive love of God works best in weakness. And, why should this preparation require such turmoil? It think it fits my experience to say that most of the time we are so bound and determined to be successful, look good, to 'survive at all costs' that we aren't disposed to see and invitation in the midst of struggle.
I suspect Jesus saw some deep struggle, some restlessness or lack of peace in the spirits of Peter and Andrew. And, I suspect that when they looked up they saw love in the face of Jesus. It is love that frees us. It is love that calms anxiety. It is love that lights a fire within our hearts. Love always contains an invitation to respond. And, heroic love inspires heroic response. (Alexander, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus chooses them for what they can become,” by an anonymous early author from the Greek church.
"'Before he says or does anything, he calls the apostles so nothing may be concealed from them as to Christ's words or works and they may later say in confidence: 'For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard' (Acts 4:20). He sees them not bodily but spiritually, regarding not their appearance but their hearts. And he chooses them not as apostles but because they could become apostles. Just as an artist who sees precious, and not rough-hewn, stones chooses them - not because of what they are but because of what they can become. Like the sensitive artist who does not spurn the unshaped good - so too the Lord, upon seeing them, does not choose their works but their hearts." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 7, the Greek fathers). (Schwager, 2023)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Romans 10:9-18 comments that Andrew definitely became a “fisher of men.” His “voice has gone forth” to much of the known world (Romans 10:18), and countless people have turned to Jesus as a result. Through Andrew’s proclamation of the Lord—and through all the other apostles’ travels as well—the whole ancient world heard the good news. But not just because of their own efforts: it was the Spirit working through them that provided the groundwork for the spread of Christianity around the world.
The gospel needs your voice, too. Whether you’re sending an email or text to a distant friend or relative or getting together with a neighbor, you are called to share the good news, just as Andrew was. Because how can anyone believe if the message is not proclaimed to them (Romans 10:14)?
“Jesus, I want to join your apostles as a messenger of your kingdom today!” (Meditation on Romans 10:9-18, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler shares the emphasis of Paul to preach the Good News. Our justification is our peace with God that comes from trust and we are saved by our good works. Friar Jude cites St Therese of Lisieux exhortation to use our talents to do small things with great love.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray (1910–1985) who was the first Black woman ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Editor Anthony B. Pinn writes that Murray preaches the value of recognizing the universal dignity of the children of God.
To think of oneself as a child of God is a liberating experience—it is to free oneself from all feelings of inferiority—whether of race, or color, or sex, or age, or economic status, or position in life. When I say that I am a child of God—made in [God’s] image— … I imply that “Black is beautiful,” that White is beautiful, that Red is beautiful, or Yellow is beautiful. I do not need to make special pleading for my sex—male or female or in-between—to bolster self-esteem. When I truly believe that God is my Father and Mother, in short, my Creator, I am bound also to believe that all men, women, and children of whatever race, color, creed, or ethnic origin are my sisters-and-brothers-in-Christ—whether they are Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Methodists, Black Muslims, members of the Judaic faith, Russian Orthodox, Buddhists, or atheists…. If I am a child of God, a sister-in-Christ, and belong with all of you to the priesthood of all believers, then my job is to love, not hate, to be creative, not destructive, to follow Christ’s cross. This is the lesson of the great prophets down through the ages. [4] (Rohr, 2023)
We have talents that, when activated by the Spirit, become our starting point to become people who live as messengers of the Good News.
References
Alexander, A. (2023, November 29). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/113023.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/4?18
Meditation on Romans 10:9-18. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/30/839557/
Psalms, PSALM 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?8
Rohr, R. (2023, June 16). A Liberating Experience. CAC The Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-liberating-experience/
Romans, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/10?9
Schwager, D. (2023, June 16). I Will Make You Fishers of People. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov30a
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