Thursday November 30, 2017
Andrew preached Jesus the Lord-crucified and risen from the dead, and belonging to all nations and peoples. He went forth and brought this good news of Jesus to the poor and to all those who would listen. He was a missionary, a preacher, a fisherman, a brother, and a believer himself. He began early, leaving everything, his boats and livelihood, to follow Jesus when he was called together with his brother Simon. He was called within his family, his work, and his nation, to leave it all for larger horizons and countries and inner worlds he could never imagine-into the company of Jesus, the Word, the Christ. We are each called in this way, to follow, to preach, and to be the good news we proclaim-to our families, in our jobs, in our countries. And yet we are to be aware of the world that waits for our word, our risking, and our reaching out beyond our small personal lives. If we call on the name of the Lord, we must also confess with our lives that Jesus is Lord.
Alternative
What is the mission of a disciple? Simply put, it is to bring people to Christ. Andrew excels in this role. Wherever we find him in the Gospel: according to John, he is bringing people to Christ. When John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God, Andrew left John, stayed with Jesus, and became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. What did he do then? “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (Jn 1:41-42). Later, when the disciples were disheartened as to how they could feed the multitude, Andrew spotted a boy with five barley loaves and two fish, and brought him to Jesus, though he wasn’t sure how it would all add up (Jn 6:9). When the Greeks came looking for Jesus, they went to Philip and Andrew, who in turn informed Jesus about the desire of the Greeks (Jn 12:20).
As the liturgical year ends today, we have an exemplary apostle who sums up the mission of the Church: bring people to Christ, and make disciples for him.
