Feast Day of Saint Andrew, Apostle
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news!” Is 52:7
This is one of the few grace-filled years where the Church celebrates Saint Andrew’s Feast Day (November 30) within the Advent season. No doubt, he’s a great Advent representative. He works quietly and mostly unnoticed throughout the gospels. Called by Jesus as one of the twelve, he seems to fade into the background afterwards – or does he?
Ask yourself: How many gospel scenes can you remember that feature Andrew? I imagine not many. But doing things without expecting to be noticed or praised is an Advent virtue, and one a culture obsessed with self promotion could stand to nurture. Another is stepping forward at the right time, and offering something that completely changes the tenor of the situation. There are two moments when Andrew feels the need to come forward, and these turn out to be pivotal moments in salvation history.
Early in the gospel of John, Andrew sees Jesus on the banks of the Jordan River. Out of all the people gathered that day, Andrew is the one to bring this sighting to the attention of Simon Peter. He exclaims to his brother, “We have found the Messiah!” In short, Andrew is the person who introduces Simon Peter to Jesus. Without Andrew, how would Simon Peter – later to become the rock upon which the Church is built – ever meet Jesus?
Symbolically, Andrew could represent you and me doing our best to find Jesus in the situations of our life, especially among the poor and the disadvantaged as in Matthew 25, “whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.” If Peter represents the Church proper, our role is also to announce to the Church, “We have found the Messiah!” We have found the Messiah in the grocery store line or the depressed coworker. We have found the Messiah in the sick family member or the suffering friend. We have found the Messiah in the people who are in constant fear of getting Covid or those who are dying to move beyond this pandemic. Andrew steps out of obscurity for a moment to proclaim to Peter, “We have found the messiah.” So should we.
Later in the gospel, when others were telling Jesus to dismiss the crowds so they can get some food, Andrew is the person who notices the boy who had five loaves and two fish. While other disciples lament, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”, Andrew once again emerges from his silence and redirects the disciples. “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish…” Without Andrew, would there have been a miraculous feeding on the grassy hillside? Without Andrew, would there be an opportunity for Jesus to declare, “I am the bread of life”?
I feel a closeness to Andrew. I chose him as my confirmation ‘saint name’. I thought it was because he was a fisherman, and at the time I liked fishing with my family. I also thought the name sounded cooler than Scott. Even after getting married, I still liked the name and our second son now carries the middle name “Andrew”.
Whether it was divine providence or saintly intervention, I see my life being conformed to these little snippets of Andrew in the gospel. Doing things without recognition. Bringing to the Church awareness of my experiences of the suffering Body of Christ. Seeing a need and speaking up to a dismissive crowd about the possibilities that might be contained in “five small barley loaves and two small fish”, even if speaking up might bring ridicule upon myself. Little things, but each has the potential to reshape the narrative and refocus the viewpoint of others.
Andrew appears out of the background of the gospel narrative, but with a word here and an action there, completely changes the trajectory of the world. Unknown to me at the time, I chose a worthy patron at confirmation. Or looking back, maybe he chose me.
May Saint Andrew guide our actions as we act as leaven behind the scenes, and give us the courage and inspiration to redirect a situation from the mundane to the miraculous when the time comes.
Saint Andrew, patron of fisherman and Scotsmen, pray for us during this Advent season.