Tag: Andrew

“We saw his star at its rising.” | The Epiphany of the Lord

From the responsorial psalm: “For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 2:1-12)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

The magi come to King Herod bringing news of the birth of the newborn king of the Jews. Excited at the star’s rising, they ask Herod where the infant can be found. But Herod, threatened by this news, calls together the scribes and pharisees to ask them where the newborn can be found. They determine through the prophet Micah that he will be born in Bethlehem, so Herod sends the magi to find him, pretending that he also wants to do him homage. Matthew tells us that “the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.” There they prostrate themselves, open their treasures, and offer their gifts. Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they leave for their country by another way. At his birth, Jesus evokes two responses in people that he would face over and over throughout his earthly ministry: hatred and love, rejection and adoration.

God, as the magi did, help me throughout the day see the signs that point to your newborn Son. The excitement of the magi is clear; seeing the star at its rising draws them closer to the king of kings to prostrate themselves before him. Herod was greatly troubled and threatened by the loss of his authority and power. One birth, two responses. Herod closed his fist to grasp control and denied Jesus. The magi opened their treasures and offered gifts. When I seek to control or obtain power, give me the wisdom to put that desire aside. Help me understand, Lord, that in giving power and authority to you, I gain more than I ever could by my own fractured efforts. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

From the responsorial psalm: “Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (John 1:35-42)

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.

Two disciples of John the Baptist stand with him as he calls their attention to Jesus. “Behold, the Lamb of God,” John tells them, and they follow him. Obedient to John and his mission, the two disciples believe him, recognizing Jesus’ authority and identity as the Messiah. Andrew, after spending time with Jesus, goes to find his brother Simon Peter and brings him to Jesus. By naming him Cephas, Jesus claims him as a disciple and gives him a new identity as one of the Twelve, and the rock on which he will build his church. In pointing to Jesus as the Son of God, John fulfills his mission. “He must increase,” says John. “I must decrease.”

God, help me today do as Andrew did for his brother by bringing others to Jesus. Where he is throughout the day will not always be clear to me. Among family members, how do I go beyond the ordinariness of a day—of my ordinary state—and bring them into the presence of your Son? Just as Jesus named Simon Peter, help me recognize how he claims me for his own and invites me to stay with him today and every day. Give me the grace to recognize in the present moment where Jesus is and to hear him speak to my heart, asking, “What are you looking for?” Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“They abandoned their nets.” | Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Free lectio divina prayer guide: quarryapps.gumroad.com/l/jojqau

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 3:20-21)

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

Jesus calls Simon and Andrew in the midst of their workday. They are in a boat, working for their sustenance and casting their nets into the sea. James and John, brothers in a family business, are mending their nets. In their livelihood, they are literally and figuratively in the same boat. When Jesus calls them, he refers to their occupation to make clear that what they have done as humble fisherman will be relevant to their work as disciples. Jesus invites them to get out of their boat and into his, not literally but figuratively, and they did. “They abandoned their nets and followed him.” Mark adds that Zebedee was not left to work alone but had hired men there to help him, a subtle suggestion that God takes care of all of the details when his invitation to follow is accepted. In the words of Christ, here is his invitation: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

God, help me understand the depth of today’s Gospel, how it was that the first apostles abandoned their way of life to follow Jesus Christ your Son. There are levels of understanding in the reading, ways to approach it. What did it mean for each of the apostles to follow Christ? Where did it lead them? And then I might ask what it means to me to hear Christ’s invitation to follow, to fail to follow, repent, and try all over again through the sacrament of reconciliation. The rich young man who appears elsewhere in Mark, could not bring himself to do what humble fisherman accomplished: they abandoned their nets. Give me the grace to remain humble, to recognize that whatever I do for worldly gain means nothing if it prevents me from following you. Help me recognize, Lord, as Paul says, that time is running out and that “the world in its present form is passing away.” Lord, give me clarity and wisdom in hearing and responding to your call.

From the responsorial psalm: “Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. Teach me your ways, O Lord.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 1:35-42)

John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and 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 the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the two disciples immediately follow him. There is no question in the minds of the disciples who Jesus is. They call him teacher. Jesus asks them what they are looking for, and they ask him where he is staying. Speaking in such a way might seem vague or tangential, but the questions they ask relate to the identification of Jesus as the Messiah. In the first reading, John tells us “No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.” By following Jesus, the disciples go with him to see where he is staying. By staying with Jesus, they remain in God and God’s seed remains in them. Andrew, one of the two disciples, tells his brother Simon Peter they have found the Messiah. Jesus knows him by name and calls him Cephas, the rock on which the Church will be built.

God, in following the example of the first disciples, I find a way for you to remain in me. “Where are you staying?” the disciples ask Jesus. In asking where he was staying, Jesus hears their yearning and persistence in seeking him. “Come, and you will see.” That invitation leads them to see where your Son lives, that his dwelling place is with you and that he invites all of us to remain with you, on earth in the mystical body of Christ and eternally in our heavenly home. Help me today to hear the same call and be able to respond, saying, “We have found the Messiah.” As Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton said, “Live always in me and let me live perpetually in you and for you, as I live only by you.”

From the responsorial psalm: “Let the sea and what fills it resound, the world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout with them for joy before the LORD. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.” Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.