Called to Bring Good News

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.

Good News and Saint Andrew

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 

Come and See

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to “Come and See” the nature of the unique relationship that Jesus has with us.

Community of Transformation

The reading from the First Letter of John warns us not to be deceived by Sin.

* [3:9] A habitual sinner is a child of the devil, while a child of God, who by definition is in fellowship with God, cannot sin. Seed: Christ or the Spirit who shares the nature of God with the Christian. (1 John, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)

Psalm 98 praises the Judge of the World.

* [Psalm 98] A hymn, similar to Ps 96, extolling God for Israel’s victory (Ps 98:1–3). All nations (Ps 98:4–6) and even inanimate nature (Ps 98:7–8) are summoned to welcome God’s coming to rule over the world (Ps 98:9). (Psalms, PSALM 98, n.d.)

The Gospel of John describes the First Disciples of Jesus.

* [1:37] The two disciples: Andrew (Jn 1:40) and, traditionally, John, son of Zebedee (see note on Jn 13:23).

* [1:39] Four in the afternoon: literally, the tenth hour, from sunrise, in the Roman calculation of time. Some suggest that the next day, beginning at sunset, was the sabbath; they would have stayed with Jesus to avoid travel on it.

* [1:41] Messiah: the Hebrew word māśiâh, “anointed one” (see note on Lk 2:11), appears in Greek as the transliterated messias only here and in Jn 4:25. Elsewhere the Greek translation christos is used.

* [1:42] Simon, the son of John: in Mt 16:17, Simon is called Bariona, “son of Jonah,” a different tradition for the name of Simon’s father. Cephas: in Aramaic = the Rock; cf. Mt 16:18. Neither the Greek equivalent Petros nor, with one isolated exception, Cephas is attested as a personal name before Christian times. (John, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)

Chas Kestermeier, S.J  asks “Do I follow the road others determine in a blind or superficial manner?  Do I work towards a career or accumulating resources as if they were ends in themselves?  Or is all that just part of a deeper search and quest?”  This examination goes all the way down to the smallest of things.  St. Ignatius Loyola speaks of  "finding God in all things" (and by implication seeing "all things in God"), but it all comes down to segment #23 of his Spiritual Exercises, the “First Principle and Foundation.”

What we seek in the end is not principles, not a system, not even a little essential truth, but the Person of our God, Jesus Himself, who is so much more, who speaks to us, challenges us, calls us, and constantly heals us – something no principle, system, or truth can offer. 

Considering all of this, I might ask myself the same things as Jesus does in terms of both today's first and second readings: “What do I seek?”  “Is that enough?”  “Who do I seek?” (Kestermeier, 2020)

"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction" – Pope Benedict XVI. pic.twitter.com/lHMdRrXghL

— Fr James Bradley (@FrJamesBradley) December 31, 2022

Don Schwager quotes “The first disciples longing for the Messiah,” by John Chrysostom (349-407 AD).

"Andrew, after having stayed with Jesus and after having learned what he did, did not keep the treasure to himself but hurries and races to his brother in order to let him know the good things Jesus has shared with him. But why hasn't John mentioned what they talked about? How do we know this is why they 'stayed with him'?... Observe what Andrew says to his brother, 'We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.' You see how, in a short time, he demonstrates not only the persuasiveness of the wise teacher but also his own longing that he had from the beginning. For this word, 'we have found,' is the expression of a soul that longs for his presence, looking for his coming from above, and is so ecstatic when what he is looking for happens that he hurries to tell others the good news. This is what brotherly affection, natural friendship, is all about when someone is eager to extend a hand to another when it comes to spiritual matters. Also see how he adds the article, for he does not say 'Messiah' but 'the Messiah.' They were expecting the Christ who would have nothing in common with the others." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 19.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:35-42 shares an invitation to develop a relationship with the Lord, just as Andrew and Simon Peter did. The invitation, though, is not reserved just for “first-timers.” It includes a call to deepen that relationship and to move close to Jesus. 

Step-by-step, this journey takes place in your home, in your place of business, and in your ordinary daily tasks. As you come and see, Jesus will teach and guide you. Perhaps he will help you to see his love for you. Perhaps he will prompt you to repair a strained relationship. Or maybe he will spark a new idea about someone to pray for. The Lord has something new for you every morning. As we begin this new year, come, and you will see what it is.

“Jesus, I’m coming to you today. I want to see where you are today and what you are doing.” (Meditation on John 1:35-42, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler explores the dualistic message of 1 John contrasting love and sin. A source for the Gospel of John may have followed the Baptist for a while before encountering Jesus. Friar Jude reminds us of the contrast between the Beloved Disciple and the “rock head” of Peter in the Gospel of John.

Dr. Barbara Holmes describes our natural resistance to prophets in our midst.

Prophets are leaders, but not leaders of their own choosing. Inevitably, they have some sort of divine encounter. A burning bush, a ram in the bush, a call in the night, visions, dreams. They’re quirky and more than a little weird. Take Jeremiah as an example, crying all the time. And Isaiah fasting and lying in the dirt, and John the Baptist eating locusts, and Huldah prophesying doom. Finally, one of the most important characteristics of prophets is that they are dangerous to the system.…

In bringing messages from God—and God doesn’t mince words—God speaks directly through them. They have a relationship and intimacy with the Divine. They communicate with God through prayer, direct speech; God walks and talks with them. Maybe not literally but in other ways. They have gifts, and they offer signs and wonders associated with the verification of the presence of God. They have communal connections. They act on behalf of community, not for their own gain, and are dependent on the community for help when they need it. (Holmes, n.d.)

We are all invited to live our Baptismal gifts as priest, prophet, and leader in the service of our community and through transformation of our individual essence.

References

Holmes, B. (n.d.). Prophets Belong in Community. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/prophets-belong-in-community-2023-01-04/ 

John, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?35 

Kestermeier, C. (2020, January 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/010420.html 

Meditation on John 1:35-42. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/01/04/575119/ 

1 John, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/3?7 

Psalms, PSALM 98. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/98?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). We Have Found the Messiah! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jan4