HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF ST. ANDREW (APOSTLE)
Homily for the Feast of St. Andrew (Apostle) Romans 10:9-18; Matthew 4:18-22. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter was a native of Bethsaida and a fisherman like his brother, whom he introduced to the Lord (cf.John 1:42). He was a disciple of John the Baptist and one of the first to become a disciple of Jesus. With Philip he presented the Gentiles to Jesus (cf.John 12:20-22) and, before the miracle in the desert, it was Andrew who pointed out to Jesus the boy carrying the loaves and the fish (cf.John 6:8-9). In the First Reading, St. Paul encourages us to be ready preachers of God's word because through it will people come to hear and know about the wonderful works and love of God in Christ Jesus, believe in him and so be saved. In today's Gospel, Jesus was beginning his public ministry and does this by calling his first four disciples, Andrew, Peter, James and John and Jesus invited them to give their work a different configuration: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers o...