Saint Andrew
John,
Chapter 8, Verse 42
Jesus
said to them, “If God were your Father, you would LOVE me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own,
but he sent me.
God
is loving, a love so great that to make right the sin of man God took the
punishment due upon Himself. In the creed we allude to this he “descended into
hell and on the third day he arose from the dead” in those three days he
suffered the punishment due to us; such is his love. Those who love Christ are
the seed of Abraham and those who do not are the seed of Satan. We are either
the servant of the world or the covenant of love formed through Abraham.
Servanthood[1]
|
Secular
Leadership vs. Spiritual Leadership
|
||
|
Issue |
Secular Leadership |
Spiritual Leadership |
|
How to gain influence |
Leverage
power |
Love
people |
|
How to possess confidence |
Compete
and win |
Depend
on God |
|
How to acquire authority |
Claim
your rights and position |
Servanthood |
|
How to grow an organization |
Demand
of people |
Develop
people |
|
What vision drives you |
Temporal
gain |
Eternal
gain |
|
What is success |
Overcoming
the competition |
Obeying
the Lord |
|
The heart of Leadership |
The
boss |
A
Father |
Chapter 8 of John’s Gospel depicts the face-off between two conflicting worldviews. The flawed worldview of the Jewish leaders caused their inability to see Jesus as a person. Nor were they able to understand that He was the second person of the Trinity: God the Son; the Messiah. They unlike Abraham could only believe what they could see, such as power and feared being displaced by the Romans. They did not understand the love of God was the willingness to serve which compels one to be, know and do the work of their Creator, God.
Feast of Saint Andrew[2]
ANDREW,
a brother of St. Peter, born at Bethsaida, was first a disciple of John the
Baptist. Afterwards both the brothers were called by Christ, on the Sea of
Galilee, before all the other apostles, with the words: Come after Me, and I
will make you to become fishers of men (Mark i. 17). Immediately they left all,
and became faithful disciples of Jesus, arid witnesses of His deeds and
sufferings, of His resurrection and ascension. After the descent of the Holy
Ghost, Andrew travelled through Scythia, Epirus, and Thrace, and by his
teachings and miracles converted vast numbers to Christ. As he was preaching at
Patras, a city of Achaia, he was violently pressed by the proconsul, Aegeas, to
offer sacrifice to the idols; but he nobly answered him, I daily offer
sacrifice to God; not the flesh of oxen, nor the blood of rams, but an
unspotted Lamb; and although all the faithful may have partaken of His flesh,
yet the Lamb remains as before He was offered, alive and undivided. Aegeas,
enraged, committed him to prison, and on the following day caused him to be
scourged; and as he persevered in his declaration, condemned him to be put to
death by crucifixion. When he saw the cross, the instrument of his death, he
greeted it with joy, embraced it, and said, O good cross, that was adorned with
the limbs of Christ, thee have I long desired; thee have I fervently loved;
thee have I continually sought. Now thou art made ready for me, according to
the wish of my heart. Take me away from men, and restore me again to my Master,
that through thee I may come to Him Who through thee has redeemed me. After
this he was nailed to the cross. Two days he remained hanging thereon,
preaching faith in Jesus, until his soul was taken up to Him Whom he had so
ardently desired to resemble in the manner of His death.
In the Introit of the Mass the Church announces to
us how greatly the apostles were exalted by God, Who made them teachers and
fathers of the whole world. She cries out, therefore, “To me Thy friends, O
God, are made exceedingly honorable; their principality is exceedingly
strengthened. Lord, Thou hast proved me and known me; Thou hast known my
sitting down and my rising up” (Ps. cxxxviii.).
Prayer.
We suppliantly beseech Thy majesty, Lord, that as
blessed Andrew the apostle was both a preacher and ruler of Thy Church, so he
may be with Thee as a perpetual intercessor for us. Amen.
EPISTLE. Rom. x. 10-18.
Brethren: With the heart, we believe unto justice;
but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture
saith: Whosoever believeth in Him, shall not be confounded. For there is no
distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord overall, rich unto
all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord,
shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him, in Whom they have not
believed? Or how shall they believe Him, of Whom they have not heard? And how
shall they hear, without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be
sent, as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things! But all do not
obey the gospel. For Isaias saith: Lord, who hath believed our report? Faith
then cometh by hearing: and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say: Have they
not heard? Yes, verily, their sound hath gone forth into all the earth and
their words unto the ends of the whole world.
GOSPEL. Matt. iv. 18-22.
Explanation.
The
alacrity with which Andrew followed the call of Jesus teaches us:
1.
That we should, on the spot, give ear to God when He inspires us with a good
thought, or calls us to a better course of life.
2.
That, in order to follow His voice, we should cast behind us all desires for
temporal goods, and even leave our parents, if they should prove a hindrance to
us, for “he that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt.
x. 37).
Aspiration.
Mayest
Thou be forever praised, most amiable Jesus, that Thou didst choose, not the
wise, the mighty, or the rich, but, what in the eyes of the world was
foolishness, to confound the wisdom and power of the world, and didst
accordingly graciously look upon poor fishermen, and exalt them to the height
of the apostolic dignity. Look also with fatherly regards upon us, Thy frail
children; call, nay, draw, us in such manner to Thee that, after the example of
St. Andrew, we may suffer nothing in the world to detain us from following
Thee, and may always glory in Thy cross, which is our salvation, our life, and
our resurrection.
Things to Do: [3]
·
Today's feast traditionally marks the end of the
Church year and beginning of Advent. Advent always begins on the Sunday closest
to November 30, with this day being the last possible day of the old Liturgical
Year. Christmas is right around the corner. An old saying reflected this:
St Andrew the King
Three weeks and three days
before Christmas begins.
Because weddings were not allowed
during Advent and Christmas and Andrew is the patron of unmarried maidens, many
countries have marriage-related superstitions connected to this day. See Patron Saints Index
for a few traditions.
·
Beginning today the Christmas
Anticipatory Prayer, also known as the "Novena to St. Andrew"
(Hail and Blessed be the hour...) is prayed every day until Christmas.
·
Read Anticipating Christmas, Beginning with the Saint Andrew.
·
View some of the art depictions of St. Andrew.
Here's another Gallery of Images of Andrew.
·
Remember to pray for fishermen
and all who make their livelihood by the sea.
·
Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia,
and Romania. The flag of Scotland (and the Union Flag and the arms and Flag of
Nova Scotia) feature a saltire (X-shaped cross) in commemoration of the shape
of St. Andrew's cross.
·
Read more about St. Andrew from Butler's
Lives of the Saints. Also read about Andrew from The Golden Legend.
·
Foods connected with this feast: St.
Andrew was a fisherman, so fish dishes and biblical themes would reign supreme.
Women
for Faith and Family have reprinted Evelyn Vitz's suggested "Biblical
Dinner" menu. But there are other foods connected with this day
o Scotland:
St. Andrew is the patron of Scotland. Scones, haggis, sheepshead and fish
dishes are traditional. The scones are called "wigs", although their
shape is rectangular.
o England:
St Andrew is a patron of lace-makers. On his feast, sometimes known as
"Tander", areas such as Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire
and Northamptonshire celebrate by feasting, drinking elderberry wine, sports
and serving a special cake called the Tandra
Cake, particularly in Bedfordshire. It has a bread dough base to which
lard, sugar, currants, lemon peel and eggs are added. This is also a day for
squirrel hunting in England, so Brunswick
Stew would be another dish on the table in England.
o Slovakian
Countries: Halushky
(pasta dish) is cooked. Unmarried girls place slips of paper with names of
single young men into the dish.
St Andrew Facts[4]
·
Andrew
was fishing with Simon Peter, James the Greater, John, and their father,
Zebedee, when Jesus came and said he would make them fishers of men (John
1:35-42).
·
Andrew
was reportedly martyred on November 30 in the year 60 A.D by a Roman governor's
order in Achaia (Greece). He was crucified and bound to the cross to
increase his suffering. The cross was tilted to create an "x,"
which is known today as St. Andrew's cross and is the basis for the Scottish
flag.
·
The
Feast of St. Andrew is the last holiday of the Christian year. It is held
the day before Advent begins, November 30 in Roman Catholic and some Protestant
churches. St. Andrew's Day is a holiday in Scotland that honors the
disciple as the country's patron saint.
·
St.
Andrew is the brother of St. Peter (Simon Peter), who was the first leader of
the church.
·
St.
Andrew is the Patron saint of: Amalfi (Italy), Barbados, Esgueira
(Portugal), Luqa (Malta), Patras (Greece), Romania, Russia, Scotland and
Ukraine.
St Andrew Top Events
and Things to Do
·
Travel
to Scotland to celebrate St. Andrew's Day. The holiday commences many
parties and festivals in Scotland, and it is also an official holiday in the
country.
·
St.
Andrew's remains, or relics, are thought to be buried in Italy at the cathedral
in Amalfi. Pilgrimage to Italy to visit.
·
Go
fishing or enjoy a seafood dinner. St. Andrew is the patron saint of
fishermen. He was a fisherman before he left his old life to follow Jesus
Christ.
·
Visit
St Andrew's Cathedral in Patras, Greece. It is the largest church in the
Balkans region and one of the largest in Europe. According to history, St.
Andrew was crucified just outside of the church.
·
Take
pictures of yourself on St Andrew's Day and use the Instagram tag #myinstagram
to win prizes.
Feast of St. Andrew, November 30—In Britain also known as “Andermess,” this marks
the end of autumn and the last harvest feast. In later centuries when Advent
was shortened, November 30 marked the beginning of the Advent season. See more
information in my previous post, Anticipating Christmas, Beginning with St. Andrew.
Every Wednesday is
Dedicated to St. Joseph
The Italian culture has
always had a close association with St. Joseph perhaps you could make
Wednesdays centered around Jesus’s Papa. Plan an Italian dinner of pizza or
spaghetti after attending Mass as most parishes have a Wednesday evening Mass.
You could even do carry out to help restaurants. If you are adventurous, you
could do the Universal Man Plan: St. Joseph style. Make the evening a family
night perhaps it could be a game night. Whatever you do make the day special.
· Devotion to the 7 Joys and Sorrows of St.
Joseph
· Do the St.
Joseph Universal Man Plan.
Daily
Devotions/Practices
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The
lonely and destitute.
· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus
· Make reparations to the Holy Face
· Rosary
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