The Great Escape

Sometimes God sends us to unexpected places. Sometimes God takes us on adventures that are definitely not on our own dream lists. Sometimes it is necessary for us to just escape whatever: abuse, bad relationships, a stressful job, immorality, temptation, betrayal, etc. Today’s gospel is the Holy Family’s escape to Egypt, which has always been a fascination of mine because we really know nothing about their time in Egypt. I’m so curious about it. Did elementary school Jesus get to go see the pyramids on his field trips? Okay, I digress, back to the gospel. I think it is a beautiful testament that Joseph received God’s word to flee, making it clear that the adopted father of Jesus was all in, and ready to do whatever it took to nurture the Savior of the world. He received the word and responded immediately taking them by night. What courage and what faith to embark on such an epic journey with your wife and new baby! How courageous and faithful am I when God calls me in the night to do wild things? Do I respond immediately to the promptings of the Spirit, or do I spend time in doubt waiting for the prompting to go away? Joseph shows us that following God’s will without hesitation is indeed life saving. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the magi (or wise guys) simply went home another way so as to avoid Herod, who was, of course, insane. They had just encountered glory and they had no choice but to go another way. When we have encountered Jesus in a real way, we must change our ways. We cannot continue living the same life we were before meeting him. Experiencing Jesus transforms our plans and leads us away from destruction. And these wise guys didn’t even have a real relationship with him; they simply spent moments in adoration and brought him gifts. How much more transformed can we be if we spend time in adoration, bring him our gifts, AND have a personal daily relationship with him? 

Unfortunately, Jesus’ power and influence, even as an infant, incited evil Herod to massacre thousands of baby boys within the region. Even today, the enemy continues to resist the force of love that comes with faith in Christ, and the good news is that we have power and authority in Jesus to fight against it. If we align ourselves with the will of God, like Joseph, and if we change our way, like the magi, we will participate in nurturing the presence of the Savior among us. Both Joseph and the magi remind us that Jesus came to touch and save all. Let’s take some time today to listen to the voice of God. Where is He leading you? Is there something in your life that you need to escape? Let’s take some time today to simply adore Jesus for coming into our lives. What gifts can you offer him today? May we escape the things of this world and go another way, led by faith, and empowered by Christ, and it is well with my soul. 

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs
Lectionary: 698

Reading 1 1 JN 1:5—2:2

Beloved:
This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ
and proclaim to you:
God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” 
while we continue to walk in darkness,
we lie and do not act in truth.
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another,
and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
If we say, “We are without sin,”
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just 
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, 
and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you
so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, 
Jesus Christ the righteous one.
He is expiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. 

Responsorial Psalm PS 124:2-3, 4-5, 7CD-8

R. (7) Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Had not the LORD been with us—
When men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive,
When their fury was inflamed against us.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Then would the waters have overwhelmed us;
The torrent would have swept over us;
over us then would have swept the raging waters.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.
Broken was the snare,
and we were freed.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare.

Alleluia See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 2:13-18

When the magi had departed, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt,
and stay there until I tell you.
Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night
and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod,
that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,
Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi,
he became furious.
He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
two years old and under,
in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:

A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

Be Still

Happy Advent, friends. So yesterday morning when I got up to write God told me, "be still." I said, "it's 3:30 in the morning, God, I am so still I'm almost dead!" Then He said, "Shhh. Be quiet." I kept hearing these same words throughout the day and what I think God is calling me personally to be silent this Advent. In other words, I will not be writing gospel reflections or posting to my blog for the season of Advent. He wants me to just sit and listen this season and it resonated so strongly with me all day, that I cannot deny it. I just wanted to give you that heads up so that y'all don't think I disappeared into thin air. I'll be back in full swing come Christmas and honestly, I can't wait, which is probably the right disposition for me to enter into Advent. I can't wait to continue sharing the gospel and to co-create with the Holy Spirit, but for now, I will be still and speechless. God is good. 

An update: Auntie passed peacefully on Wednesday morning. I came to work an hour after she had passed and was able to sit with her for a while for one final aloha. My friend Letty and I sang with her on Friday and she actually sang with us. When she heard the song "Aloha Oe" I felt her relax as if she just needed permission. Her son and daughter told me that over the weekend she was pretty much unconscious, but they had Hawaiian music playing and at one point her hands went in the air and she danced the hula as she slept. I cannot imagine anything more beautiful. I know she is dancing for Jesus now. Until we meet again, Auntie, aloha. 

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 179

Reading 1 IS 29:17-24

Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,
and the orchard be regarded as a forest!
On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.
Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.

Responsorial Psalm PS 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, our Lord shall come with power;
he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
"Son of David, have pity on us!" 
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
"Do you believe that I can do this?" 
"Yes, Lord," they said to him. 
Then he touched their eyes and said,
"Let it be done for you according to your faith." 
And their eyes were opened. 
Jesus warned them sternly,
"See that no one knows about this." 
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Field Hospital

Pope Francis says, “The church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital for sinners…The thing the church needs most is the ability to heal the wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle.” Jesus sets up a field hospital of sorts in today’s gospel. It says that great crowds followed him up the mountain. This would have been a difficult hike especially because they brought with them, “the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others.” As a faith community it is important for us to carry each other to the high places where Jesus leads us. It is there that we can place each other at his feet to be healed as in today’s gospel. The walk or the journey may be a bit difficult, but when we witness the healing that God can do when we surrender ourselves to Jesus, we will be amazed like the crowd in today’s gospel. Our amazement will lead to worship and our worship moves the heart of Jesus to compassion. His compassion feeds us with thanksgiving and thankful hearts are always satisfied. 

Sometimes we are the crowd bringing the wounded to Jesus and sometimes we are the sinners being brought before the Lord. When we come to him in our lameness, in our blindness, with our deformities, and in our pain, he meets us in high places to heal our wounds. The field hospital has one thing in mind, “I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.”  When the disciples asked how Jesus would be able to feed them all with the little food they did have, he showed them what multiplies the food for our souls: “he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied.” He takes our meager offerings, gives thanks to our Good Good Father, breaks our offerings open, distributes the pieces to the faith community, the faith community gives it away to others, and all are fed. What a lovely liturgical dance? Offering. Surrender. Healing. Worship. Compassion. Thanksgiving. Fullness.

Let’s seek Jesus in the high places today. Let’s bring our wounds before him so that he can heal us. Let’s give him glory. Let’s accept the food he gives us with thanksgiving. Let’s be completely satisfied in the mercy and love of God through Jesus. Now that sounds like a great day and it is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 IS 25:6-10A

On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.

On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6

R. (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage. 
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Alleluia 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;
blessed are those prepared to meet him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 15:29-37

At that time:
Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,
went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 
Great crowds came to him,
having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,
and many others. 
They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. 
The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,
the deformed made whole, 
the lame walking, 
and the blind able to see,
and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,
"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,
for they have been with me now for three days
and have nothing to eat. 
I do not want to send them away hungry,
for fear they may collapse on the way." 
The disciples said to him,
"Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place
to satisfy such a crowd?" 
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" 
"Seven," they replied, "and a few fish." 
He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,
gave thanks, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 
They all ate and were satisfied. 
They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Only Say The Word

The other day at work, a 19-year-old co-worker came to me and asked me shyly and in super hushed tones, “Can you please help me with something?” I said, “Of course.” She replied, “It’s super embarrassing.” I said, “What do you need?” “Can you please read me the Thanksgiving card from Betty (91-year-old resident) that is pinned on the bulletin board? It is written in cursive and I don’t know how to read cursive, but I really like Betty and want to know what her card says because it is written to all of the staff.” I was taken aback because I knew that cursive was no longer taught in schools, but I had never really experienced the affects of that. Essentially, this girl was illiterate in cursive and it was her “lack” that moved her to ask for help. It was a pretty courageous thing to admit that she could not read it and she could have let embarrassment or pride keep her from reaching out, but she knew that Betty’s thanksgiving was meant for all of us and she just needed help in receiving it. Her humility moved me so much and I found myself fighting back tears as I tenderly read Betty’s note to her. This girl truly wanted to know and experience Betty’s words and her inability to read it did not hold her back. She reached out to someone that she knew would help her, and her faith gave her courage.  

This sweet story captures the essence of today’s gospel. A Roman centurion came to Jesus. The centurion presents his needs to Jesus, which in itself would have been a pretty humiliating, but courageous effort. Romans just did not ask Jews for help. Jesus recognized his courage and immediately responds, “I will come and cure him.” Wouldn’t I love for that to be Jesus’ answer to all my prayer requests? The centurion says, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” When Jesus heard this, he was taken aback in amazement, and the faith and humility of this centurion allowed the release of healing on his servant. The centurion recognized that Jesus message was meant for all and his “lack” (not being Jewish) did not hinder him from asking to receive what he knew was also meant for his household. This centurion and my 19-year-old friend teach us that when we admit our lack to Jesus, he is always moved to fulfill it. Our humility gives his power and authority increase to be released not only to us personally, but to those around us. 

I pray that we come to Jesus today in our illiteracy, our unworthiness, and in our lack so that he can release his word of knowledge, worth, and healing over us. Let our faith stir up our courage to approach the one whose message and healing is meant for all of us and it is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
Lectionary: 175

Reading 1 IS 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Responsorial Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4B, 4CD-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city 
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up, 
the tribes of the LORD.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel, 
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats, 
seats for the house of David. 
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! 
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls, 
prosperity in your buildings. 
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Alleluia SEE PS 80:4

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come and save us, LORD our God;
let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 8:5-11

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." 
He said to him, "I will come and cure him." 
The centurion said in reply,
"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;
and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;
and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." 
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

Speed Trap

First of all, it’s December! When did that happen and how did this year fly by? If you really knew me you would know that I have a lead foot. I drive fast and you definitely do not want me leading the caravan on the freeway because y’all would be forced into keeping up with a speed demon. It’s a problem or at least it was a problem. Years ago for Lent, I gave up speeding. I had to drive the speed limit even in the 25mph zones!!! Do you know how hard it is to actually drive 25mph???? It was such a great fast for me and really helped me pray and focus my attention on spiritual matters, that I started giving up speeding every year for Lent; however, once Easter came around I was back to my fast lane ways. This had been going on for a good 10 years. I started doing my speeding fast for people that needed prayer or during seasons other than Lent. Eventually, driving the speed limit started to become my practice. I admit that to ensure my non-speeding success, I most definitely cheated and used cruise control on the freeway so I didn’t have to think about it too much, but those darn 25mph zones really disciplined me. 

There are a few pretty stealth speed traps in my neighborhood and back when I was a speed demon I would have to do that dramatic slam on the breaks thing every single time I saw that speed gun pointing at me. Of course I would play it off and act all nonchalant like, “I wasn’t speeding and you didn’t see me just go from 55 to 35 with a single stomp on my poor breaks, officer.” As I passed I would check my rear view mirror incessantly knowing that I was finally caught and my $$$ speeding ticket was coming after me. There would be that anxious adrenaline punch to my gut and I would totally drive the speed limit like an upstanding citizen for at least a couple miles. Does this sound like our sin patterns or what? Anyway, once I had been fasting from speeding for literally a decade or so, I remember hitting one of those speed traps and instead of slamming on the breaks I simply took my foot off the gas as I looked down at my speedometer. I was so pleasantly surprised when I saw that I was indeed driving 35 and not 55!! I was still programmed to assume that I was probably speeding and my natural tendency was to shamefully slow down even if I didn’t need to. Progress. A little over a year ago, when I came upon said speed trap, I remember distinctly NOT feeling the need to break, NOT even taking my foot off the gas, and the clincher NOT even looking down at my speedometer as I drove past that menacing speed gun!!! What was this confidence? What was this assuredness? What was this faith? After I was well out of the speed gun’s sights I finally looked down and sure enough I was driving the speed limit exactly! Well that only took 12 years to conquer!!! I can’t even tell you how liberated I felt in that moment. I know this seems like a silly and petty thing, but it was an intense metanoia for me because it showed me that when I practice right behavior, eventually right behavior becomes my practice. I can undo my tendencies toward sin if I practice, pray, repeat, practice, pray, repeat. This was a huge realization for me and I think it captures the essence of today’s gospel. 

I know y’all were worried that I’d never get to the gospel and that speed traps are most definitely not an ancient Middle Eastern thing but, “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a TRAP.’” Bam, there it is! I’m going to go ahead and say that the part of this warning that probably resonates with most of us is the “anxieties of daily life.” He includes these anxieties in the same sentence and category as “carousing and drunkenness.” Worry and stress lead to drowsy hearts and drowsy hearts steal our resilience to fight against sin. We lose focus and often find ourselves slamming on the breaks because we have been caught in a trap. Jesus wants so much more for us and he wants us to be able to simply drive through those traps without the worry of being caught. He wants us to be free to keep moving forward without having to check our rear view mirror for that consequence to finally catch up with us. He wants us to have the peace of knowing that we are no longer guilty of that sin that has been our tendency for years. The practice of this while living in this world will only make us ready to be received into his glory when that day comes. Vigilance is so important and it may take us years to break through, but Jesus gave his life to set us free from those things that give us lead feet. Sin makes us heavy and enslaved and Jesus wants us to be light and free. 

Take some time today to name your lead feet. What weighs you down? What is your biggest sin tendency? What keeps you slamming on the breaks of guilt and shame? Pray about how you can fast from those and start to move toward the freedom that Jesus wants for each of us. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 RV 22:1-7

John said:
An angel showed me the river of life-giving water,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God
and of the Lamb down the middle of the street,
On either side of the river grew the tree of life
that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month;
the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations.
Nothing accursed will be found anymore.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
and his servants will worship him.
They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun,
for the Lord God shall give them light,
and they shall reign forever and ever.

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, 
and the Lord, the God of prophetic spirits,
sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
“Behold, I am coming soon.”
Blessed is the one who keeps the prophetic message of this book.

Responsorial Psalm PS 95:1-2, 3-5, 6-7AB

R. (1 Cor 16: 22b, see Rev. 22: 20c) Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
For the LORD is a great God,
and a great king above all gods;
In his hands are the depths of the earth,
and the tops of the mountains are his.
His is the sea, for he has made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. Marana tha! Come, Lord Jesus!

Alleluia LK 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 21:34-36

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Immediately

I slept in a bit today because I have epic day ahead of me, but wanted to briefly write about today's gospel. It is the wonderful scene of the Jesus choosing his first Apostles! Wouldn't you love to know why Jesus chose these dudes!! It gives me great comfort that he chose such, how shall I put it?, clueless, hot-headed, down to earth peeps with senses of humor, because there is hope for me. He saw them casting their nets into the sea. He saw them casting their hopes into the things of this world and right away he calls them away from that to come after him who is all they need. He tells them that they will now be fishers of people casting their nets into the sea of grace that God will give them if they follow him. It says that they immediately left their boat and followed him. This is the kind of faith I want and need to be who Jesus calls me to be. May I immediately get out of the boat of fear, shame, selfishness, comfort, laziness, etc. and start walking with the one that calls me by name. We have work to do and that work is to love. It is well with my soul. 

P.S. Thank you all for your prayers for Auntie. She was doing dramatically better yesterday and I am sure it is because of your prayers. 

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Lectionary: 684

Reading 1 ROM 10:9-18

Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for

Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

Alleluia MT 4:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come after me, says the Lord,
and I will make you fishers of men.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 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.
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.