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Master·evangeli.net

Today's Gospel + short theological explanation

November 30th: Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
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Gospel text (Mt 4:18-22): 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 (...).

Saint Andrew, apostle

EDITORIAL TEAM evangeli.net (based on texts by Benedict XVI) (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, we speak of Simon Peter’s brother, St. Andrew, who also was one of the twelve. He most certainly enjoyed great prestige within the early Christian communities. The kinship between Peter and Andrew, as well as the joint call Jesus addressed to them, are explicitly mentioned in the Gospels.

Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist; and one day he heard John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus as "the Lamb of God". So, he was stirred and followed the Lord. The Byzantine Church honours him with the nickname "Protóklitos" which means the "first called". He is considered as the Apostle to the Greeks in the years subsequent to Pentecost. Because of the fraternal relationship between Peter and Andrew, the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople regard themselves as sister Churches.

—St. Andrew, teach us to follow Jesus with promptness, to speak enthusiastically about Him to those we meet, and especially to cultivate a relationship of true familiarity with Him: in Him alone can we find the ultimate meaning of our life and death.