St. Andrew the Apostle

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord and the brother of St. Peter the Apostle, and was the very first one of the Lord’s disciples and followers, hence why he is also sometimes known as St. Andrew the First-Called. On this day we honour this great man of God, who has devoted himself thoroughly to the service of God, and given himself to the ministry of the proclamation of the Good News of God to the many people and communities he encountered. St. Andrew the Apostle is truly a great inspiration to all of us in how he has lived his life with fervent desire to glorify God in his many missionary works and actions.

Now, first let us all begin with a revisiting of the passages from the Scriptures which we had received and heard earlier. In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, where where the Apostle was very clear in his words and reminders to the people of God regarding who it is that they believe in and worshipping, namely the Lord God, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who has brought into this world the assurance of His salvation, the promise of eternal life, true joy and glory with God, offered to all of mankind, everyone without any exception, bias or prejudice, whether they were Jews or Gentiles. And this message truly brought great hope to everyone who heard it.

This is because at that time, the belief among the Jewish people, the descendants of the original chosen people of God, the Israelites was that the Jews were the only ones deserving of God’s favour and salvation, while the Gentiles, who were mostly pagans and unbelievers were seen as defiled, corrupt, wicked and unworthy, and would be condemned unless they adopted wholly the ways and practices of the Jews, such as the strict laws and rules according to the Law of God as revealed to Moses including all the subsequent additions, modifications and changes. The problem is that the requirements were so stringent that even the Jews themselves have great difficulty obeying them, and all the more difficult for the Gentiles to do so.

In addition to this, based on historical evidence and Church records, the practices and customs of the Jews such as circumcision and the dietary preferences among other things were abhorrent and considered as alien and undesirable by many of the Gentiles, and forcing the Gentiles to adopt such practices would indeed have made their lives extra difficult, on top of the challenges that they would already have to face by being a follower of Christ. That was why St. Paul made it clear that the belief in the salvation in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all is universal, and not reserved only for any particular group of people. Anyone who truly believe in Him and obey Him, following His teachings and ways will be saved, and they shall all share in the fullness of grace and glory of God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle, we heard of the moment when the Lord called His disciples, the first ones that He had, from among the fishermen of the lake of Galilee. St. Andrew was among these fishermen, and he was likely the one to introduce the Lord to his brother, then known as Simon, the future St. Peter the Apostle, as well as to the two sons of Zebedee, namely St. James the Apostle and St. John the Apostle. According to Apostolic and Church tradition, St. Andrew was also a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and was one of the two disciples of St. John the Baptist who went to follow the Lord after He was baptised by the former. This is why St. Andrew is also known as St. Andrew the First-Called as mentioned earlier.

The Lord then called him and the other fishermen, the other disciples to be the ‘fishers of men’, to be the ones to gather all mankind to the Lord, to lead them all to His salvation, just as they had gathered fish in their earlier work and livelihood. Through them, the Lord would reach out to many more people and bring them all towards His loving embrace and compassionate mercy, and that is the very important role which the Lord has entrusted and called the Apostles like St. Andrew to do. They would be the ones proclaiming the Good News of God, bringing hope and light of Christ to those who have suffered and waited in the darkness of this world, separated and sundered from God’s love and grace.

And now, let us revisit the life and examples of St. Andrew the Apostle especially after what was written in the Scriptures. According to Apostolic tradition, St. Andrew would go on to various places to proclaim the Gospels, the Good News of the Lord, including places such as Georgia, Greece and Asia Minor, parts of southern Russia and Ukraine around the Black Sea region, Romania, Cyprus, Malta and other places where he touched the hearts and minds of many with the Good News of the Lord, with His love and kindness, which have been freely and generously given to us. He established many churches and the foundations of the Christian communities in all those places, and was eventually martyred in Patras in southern Greece, being crucified on an X-shaped cross, which henceforth is known as ‘St. Andrew’s Cross’.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore learn and be inspired from the good and worthy life, examples and commitment which St. Andrew has shown to the Lord and to the people he had been sent to. All of us should also have the same vigour and courage in proclaiming the Good News of God like that of St. Andrew and that of the other Apostles because they have shown us what it truly means to be good and faithful Christians, not just in name and formality only, but also through real actions, words and deeds based upon that living and genuine faith in God. We must embody our faith in our daily living and in how we interact with one another, with those whom we encounter, even acquaintances and strangers.

May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate God continue to bless and guide us all in our journey in life so that by His blessings and providence, by His encouragement and strength we may continue to do our best in our respective lives, continuing the good works which the Apostles such as St. Andrew had done in their lives. May our own lives and works be truly worthy of being Christians, and may we continue to be good role models and inspirations for each other, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 4 : 18-22

At that time, as Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow Me; and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.

At once, they left the boat, and their father, and followed Him.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on, throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Romans 10 : 9-18

You are saved, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and, in your heart, you believe that God raised Him from the dead. By believing from the heart, you obtain true righteousness; by confessing the faith with your lips, you are saved.

For Scripture says : No one who believes in Him will be ashamed. Here, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; all have the same Lord, Who is very generous with whoever calls on Him. Truly, all who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call upon the Name of the Lord without having believed in Him? And how can they believe in Him, without having first heard about Him? And how will they hear about Him, if no one preaches about Him? And how will they preach about Him, if no one sends them?

As Scripture says : How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of Good News. Although, not everyone obeyed the Good News, as Isaiah said : Lord, who has believed in our preaching? So, faith comes from preaching, and preaching is rooted in the word of Christ.

I ask : Have the Jews not heard? But, of course, they have. Because the voice of those preaching resounded all over the earth, and their voice was heard, to the ends of the world.

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Thursday, 30 November 2023 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, the brother of St. Peter the Apostle, a truly great man of God and a most faithful servant of our Lord and Saviour. St. Andrew the Apostle is also known as St. Andrew the First-Called or Protocletos, because he was among the first of the Lord’s disciples, and was the one to introduce the Lord to his brother St. Peter the Apostle, then named Simon, and the two sons of Zebedee, St. James the Greater and St. John the Evangelist, both of whom are also part of the Twelve Apostles. On this day we recall the memory of this great saint, whose life, works and actions should serve as great inspiration for all of us Christians.

St. Andrew was a fisherman working by the Lake of Galilee, where he worked alongside his brother Simon, later known as St. Peter, and the two aforementioned sons of Zebedee. They were most likely poor and illiterate, and their profession was not exactly well-respected at that time. Yet, it was to them that the Lord first reached out to, in calling out His disciples and followers. According to tradition, St. Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and he was one of the two disciples of St. John the Baptist mentioned in the Gospels, who followed the Lord Jesus after He was baptised by St. John the Baptist at the River Jordan. Hence, St. Andrew then introduced the Lord to his fellow fishermen, and the Lord began His ministry with those first disciples including St. Andrew.

As highlighted in parts of the Gospels, such as the feeding of the five thousand men, St. Andrew took part closely in many of the works and ministries of the Lord. He helped the Lord and His other Apostles in serving the people of God, and eventually, after His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, St. Andrew travelled from places to places in proclaiming the Good News of God just like the other Apostles. Various Apostolic and Church traditions highlighted that St. Andrew ministered in many places such as what is today Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Asia Minor, Greece and many others. He spread the Gospels and the truth about Jesus Christ, and the salvation of God that has come into this world, to the many people and communities who have not yet heard and known of Him.

He founded the beginnings of the Church and its communities in many of the places he had visited during his missionary travels and works. Thus this is why he is highly regarded and respected, venerated and honoured in the places mentioned above, and especially amongst our brethren in the Eastern Orthodox Communion, many of whose bishops can trace the origin of their dioceses and sees to St. Andrew and to the churches and communities that he had established all throughout his missionary journeys. St. Andrew eventually was arrested, tortured and martyred in Patras, in what is today parts of modern Greece, where he was persecuted for his faith and then crucified on an X-shaped cross, which henceforth became known as the ‘St. Andrew’s Cross’.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the story of the life and the works of St. Andrew the Apostle, let us all reflect on our own lives and works as well, on whether we have been faithful to the Lord in the same way as St. Andrew the Apostle and other saints and holy men and women of God had done in their own lives. It is important that each and every one of us are aware that we all should also live our lives and commit ourselves to the Lord in each and every moments with great faith and trust in the Lord. We should do our part in living our lives worthily as Christians, in doing what the Lord has shown and taught us, so that by our examples and good words, deeds and actions, we may truly exemplify our faith in God, and be the true and genuine missionaries that we have all been called to be.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, as parts and members of the Church of God, it is part of our responsibilities and calling for all of us to be missionary and evangelistic in all things. We cannot be idle in how we live our lives, but we must always reach out to others all around us, spreading the truth and love of God, His Good News and salvation to more and more people. And how we do this, is not always by merely proclaiming and preaching to others, and we also should not think that just because we seemingly did not have the opportunities, the means and the wisdom or tools to do what the Apostles, the saints and other great men and women of the Church had done, then we cannot do what they had done for the greater glory of God.

Rather, in our own ordinary and unique ways, in every circumstances, and in all that we have in our lives, we should always strive to do what the Lord has shown and taught us, in His Law and commandments, in all of the things that He has asked us to carry out in accordance with His will. It means that in even the smallest and the seemingly least significant things that we do, we should always strive to be ever more faithful and committed, in doing what is right and just in God’s presence, and in proclaiming His truth amidst our every words, actions and deeds. We should always remember that in everything we say and do, we must truly be honest and genuine Christians, or else we will be like hypocrites who profess or claim to believe in something and yet, his or her way of life show completely otherwise.

Let us all be reminded that St. Andrew himself was also a poor and illiterate fisherman of the Lake of Galilee, who was not expected to do great things in life. Yet, God made him to be a great servant and man, whose contributions and works led to the salvation of so many souls. We must always be reminded that each and every one of us, be it rich or poor, strong or weak, famous or not, all of us are called to be disciples and followers of the Lord, and in each and every opportunities that God has given us, we must always make good use of all the graces and blessings which God has granted to us. We must never take what we have been blessed for granted, and we must do our part as Christians, so that by our lives, the Lord may be glorified at all times. Let us allow the Lord to lead our path in life, and transform our works to be truly worthy of those whom He has called and chosen.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all ask St. Andrew the Apostle, whom the Lord had called to be His disciple and Apostle to intercede for us always, and may all of us continue to be inspired by his good and worthy examples in life, and also those of the other innumerable other saints and martyrs, holy men and women, whose examples and lives have been great beacons of inspiration and help for us. Let us all be encouraged, strengthened and be empowered to do our best in living a most worthy, genuine and committed Christian life at all times. May God bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 30 November 2023 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 4 : 18-22

At that time, as Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow Me; and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.

At once, they left the boat, and their father, and followed Him.

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Thursday, 30 November 2023 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on, throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

by

Thursday, 30 November 2023 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Romans 10 : 9-18

You are saved, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and, in your heart, you believe that God raised Him from the dead. By believing from the heart, you obtain true righteousness; by confessing the faith with your lips, you are saved.

For Scripture says : No one who believes in Him will be ashamed. Here, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; all have the same Lord, Who is very generous with whoever calls on Him. Truly, all who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call upon the Name of the Lord without having believed in Him? And how can they believe in Him, without having first heard about Him? And how will they hear about Him, if no one preaches about Him? And how will they preach about Him, if no one sends them?

As Scripture says : How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of Good News. Although, not everyone obeyed the Good News, as Isaiah said : Lord, who has believed in our preaching? So, faith comes from preaching, and preaching is rooted in the word of Christ.

I ask : Have the Jews not heard? But, of course, they have. Because the voice of those preaching resounded all over the earth, and their voice was heard, to the ends of the world.

by

Wednesday, 30 November 2022 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the great Twelve Apostles of the Lord, namely that of St. Andrew the Apostle, also known as St. Andrew the First-Called because he was indeed one of the first if not the first one among the Twelve Apostles to be called by the Lord to be one of His followers. St. Andrew the Apostle was once a fisherman of the region of the lake of Galilee, together with his brother St. Peter, the chief of all the Apostles and first Vicar of Christ, as well as the sons of Zebedee, St. James and St. John, another two of the Twelve Apostles. Altogether, the four of them were the first of the Twelve Apostles to follow the Lord, and were the Lord’s first disciples, leaving everything behind in order to follow Him.

St. Andrew according to the Gospel of St. John and tradition was also one of the disciples of St. John the Baptist, and was one of the two disciples who became first followers of Christ because St. John the Baptist at the moment when he baptised the Lord Jesus at the River Jordan proclaimed, ‘Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world’, revealing that the One he had just baptised, was truly the One Whom God had promised, the Messiah and Saviour of the whole world. St. Andrew and the other unnamed disciple of St. John the Baptist therefore decided to follow the Lord from then on, and it was likely hence that St. Andrew was the one who introduced the Lord to his fellow fishermen, his brother St. Peter as well as the brothers St. James and St. John as mentioned.

St. Andrew the Apostle was often present at many important events in the Lord’s ministry as mentioned in the Gospels. He continued to carry out his ministry amidst the challenges and trials of the world, and all the persecutions facing the faithful after the Lord has suffered, died on the Cross and risen from the dead, and sent out His disciples and the Apostles to the many distant parts of the world to proclaim the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to all the people in those places. St. Andrew himself according to Apostolic and Church traditions, went to the various regions in the distant north from the Holy Land, in places like Scythia, which corresponds to the modern day parts of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. He also ministered to the people in other places like the Balkans, establishing the See of Byzantium, which would later on became the principal See of Constantinople of his successors, and Greece among others.

St. Andrew later would suffer martyrdom as described by the traditions of the Church, as he was arrested and condemned to death in the region of what is now Greece. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross, which henceforth would be known as St. Andrew’s Cross. He remained firm in his dedication and faith in God, doing his best in fulfilling God’s missions and calling entrusted to Him. St. Andrew continued to persevere in the mission which the Lord has given him, to the very end. He chose to suffer and die rather than to abandon His mission and to endure the hardships of this world rather than to stay silent amidst proclaiming the words of God’s truth against the falsehoods and evils of this world. His examples, faith and convictions should inspire us in our own way of observing the Law of God and in following His path.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we reflect together on this Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle upon the actions and life work of this Apostle and holy man of God, let us all discern our own actions and way of life, in how we live our lives as Christians in our world today. Have we placed the Lord our God as the centre and focus of our lives, or have we instead allowed ourselves to be swayed by the many temptations and allures of this world that we end up being drawn further and further away from the Lord and His salvation? It is important that we reflect upon these today as we continue to progress through the season of Advent in preparation for the great celebrations at Christmas. That is because we must not be ignorant of our calling and mission as Christians, to be the beacons of God’s light and hope in our world today.

Often we may think that we are unworthy or incapable of doing what the Lord has entrusted to us to do, but this is because we do not realise or understand that it is not we who make ourselves worthy of the Lord or decide whether we are worthy or not. Instead, it is God Himself Who calls and has called upon all those whom He deems to be worthy. After all, He knows everything in us, all in our hearts and minds, even to the deepest of our secrets. Nothing is hidden from His All-Knowing might, and hence, He knows perfectly what we are capable of, and He empowers each one of us with unique and variety of gifts, blessings and opportunities to do His will, and to be fruitful in the missions that He has entrusted to each one of us. All of us should follow in the footsteps of St. Andrew the Apostle, and the other Apostles and saints.

The works that the Lord had entrusted to His Apostles and disciples are still far from being completed, brothers and sisters in Christ. There are still many areas where there are people who have not yet known the truth, wisdom and salvation in God, and there are many of those who can be called closer to God and His truth, His salvation and grace by our lives and actions. We have been entrusted with many things by the Lord, and sometimes we ourselves do not realise this, as we are often too preoccupied with worldly matters, our desires and ambitions that we end up being blindsided and unable to realise what a great opportunity that we have been given by God, and how we often squandered those opportunities and gifts, in ignoring and not answering to the call that the Lord has made upon us to follow Him.

Let us all therefore entrust ourselves to the Lord, following the examples that saints like St. Andrew the Apostle had done. Let us all allow the Lord to lead and guide us in our lives so that we may truly walk faithfully down the path that He has prepared for us. Let us all be active in the faithful living and carrying out of our Christian duties and obligations, in being true and shining beacons of God’s light and truth in our world today. Are we willing to commit ourselves to this path? And are we willing to commit our effort, time and attention to do what the Lord had called us to do and entrusted in our care? Let us ask St. Andrew to intercede for us, that God may always be by our side and strengthen us in whatever struggles and paths that He has called us to walk through, now and always, evermore. May our lives, and especially this time of Advent be a truly fruitful one. Amen.

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Wednesday, 30 November 2022 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 4 : 18-22

At that time, as Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow Me; and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.

At once, they left the boat, and their father, and followed Him.