Come after me

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is the Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle. A blessed feast day to me and all Andrews out there!

Today's Gospel is a reminder to us that every moment of every day, we are given the blessed opportunity to answer Jesus' call to "come after me". Christ sees us and delights in us, not in the grandiose things that we do, but in the little things that we do day in and day out with tender love and care. Andrew, Simon, John, and James were all working to provide for their families when Jesus saw them and called them and they followed him.

Jesus calls some to follow him in a radical way, leaving behind their jobs and even families and friends, to enter the seminary to become priests or enter into religious life. But Christ calls all of us to "come after him", to live lives that bear witness to God's love and mercy in our day to day relationships and interactions with others. Many times we hesitate to give God our "yes" because we are afraid to let go of what we have. However, if we are willing to take a chance, to risk everything to follow Jesus, we will realize that not only do we not lose anything when we come after Christ, but we gain so much more in our lives.

For me, 15 years ago, I took a chance and dare to risk everything to follow Christ, and that decision to "come after" him changed my life forever when I became a Catholic. Saint Andrew became my patron saint when I was baptized at the Easter Vigil. Then, 9 years ago, Jesus called me to "come after" him in a deeply intimate way and my life was forever changed when I entered Diaconal Formation. I still have my wife, my family, my friends, my work, but I have gained so much more.

You will, too. May you take a chance and dare to risk everything to come after Jesus and follow him. Saint Andrew, the apostle of Jesus Christ, pray for us.

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Gospel of the Day

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,

Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,

casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.

He said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father 

and followed him.