November 30 2020 - St. Andrew the Apostle - Bravely Beginning Advent

 

On this first weekday of Advent, we honor the apostle first-called by the Lord. The celebration of the Feast the Apostles outranks the Advent weekday celebration, for, without the Apostles faithfully fulfilling their mission we wouldn’t have Advent, would we? Yet, we can still ask, what lessons particularly for Advent, can we learn from this courageous martyred apostle?

Though Andrew was of Jewish heritage, his name Andrew, comes not from a Hebrew word, but a Greek word: andreios, meaning “brave”, “manly”. The Apostle Andrew bravely followed Christ, bravely spread Christ’s Gospel, and bravely witnessing to Christ in martyrdom.  

Tradition says that he preached the Gospel in Patras, a city on the northwest coast of Greece’s Peloponnesian peninsula. He was met with great hostility by the governor of Patras, a man by the name of Aegeas. After imprisoning and torturing the apostle for preaching against the pagan gods, Aegeas promised great honors to Andrew, if he would forsake his Christian faith and offer the pagan sacrifices. Andrew responded: “the honors you offer me have no value in my eyes, because they are temporal and pass away; the tortures you threaten me with, I despise, for the same reason; but you, Aegeas have to fear torments which last forever, if you do not abandon your idols, and recognize Jesus Christ for the true and only God, and worship Him as such.”

Andrew’s courageous words recalls the promise of Our Lord in the Gospels, who said, “You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake. When they deliver you up, do not be afraid…”

How are we called to practice Apostle-like ‘courage’ this advent? We’re certainly called to fortify ourselves against all of the secularizing influences of this upcoming month which seek to remove Christ from Christmas.  

But also, we are certainly called to ‘bravely’ enter into the spirituality of this season, to not be afraid to put aside worldly matters in order to seek after heavenly matters: to fill our Advent days with devotions, scripture reading, and good works.

After refusing to offer the pagan sacrifice, Andrew was crucified on the X-shaped cross. Hanging on the cross for two days before he died, he continued to preach the Gospel. Despite our crosses, we are called to bravely preach Christ this Advent, to prepare our souls to meet Him. 

Like Andrew we are called to leave behind the old life of earthly concern, in order to preach the Good News of Christ to the ends of the earth, to seek our joy not in earthly honors and riches, but in our faithfulness to the end. 

May the intercession and example of Saint Andrew grant us courage for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That through the courageous witness of the Christian Church, Our Lord will bring hope to the hopeless and joy to the joyless.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That Christ may heal every disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and bring peace to the suffering.

For the deceased of our parish, family and friends, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Keep us alert, we pray, O Lord our God, as we await the advent of Christ your son, so that, when he comes and knocks, he may find us watchful in prayer and exultant in  his praise. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.