[Jesus] said to them [Andrew and Simon],“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. // Matthew 4:19-20
Hesitation grips me as I internally debate over inviting a friend to Mass.
Checking out at the grocery store, I wonder if I’m inundating the cashier with an explanation of my Miraculous Medal earrings.
I grimace, making a concerted effort to offer up my pain and embrace the suffering.
In some seasons, these actions come easily to me, and during others they are a struggle. I am inspired in these areas today by the Apostle Saint Andrew, whose feast we celebrate today, for two reasons.
First, we read in the Gospel of John that after meeting Jesus, Andrew does not hesitate to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1: 41). Andrew, called the “Protoclete” or “first of the Apostles,” had been following Saint John the Baptist, hoping in God’s promise of a Savior. He recognized in Jesus the One for whom they had been waiting. Andrew's response? Bring someone else along.
The second reason comes at the very end of Andrew’s life. Like most of the Apostles, he was martyred. Tradition holds that he died in Patras, Greece in the same way his Messiah had: by torture of crucifixion. What’s also been passed down is how he approached his death.
An ancient story from the sixth century tells of Saint Andrew greeting his own cross with joy and loving acceptance, saying: "Hail, O Cross, inaugurated by the Body of Christ and adorned with his limbs as though they were precious pearls. Before the Lord mounted you, you inspired an earthly fear. Now, instead, endowed with heavenly love, you are accepted as a gift” (source).
Today is also the end of the Catholic liturgical year. So in honor of the “New Year,” ponder Saint Andrew’s bold faith and confidence. Pray about one way you can share the Gospel and embrace the crosses in your life beginning in Advent and continuing throughout this next year.
Sarah Ortiz is a Catholic convert, wife, and mother to five boys while living in a 200-year-old farmhouse in Western New York. When not folding laundry, she can be found reading, experimenting in the kitchen, keeping the family library, or snagging amazing antique furniture deals. She was a contributing author to Set a Fire. Find out more about her here.
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