His Word Today: Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew, by Artus Wolffort

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Andrew, the apostle.  According to Christian tradition, he was born in 6 BC in Galilee, in the village of Bethsaida, located on the Sea of Galilee.  The New Testament explains that he was the brother of Simon Peter.  Both he and Simon were fishermen and it was on the seashore that Jesus called them: come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men (Mt 4:19).

After the death of Jesus, Andrew travelled through the region of Scythia, along the Black Sea and as far as Kiev.  He is revered as the patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia.  Tradition teaches that he established the See of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and Istanbul) in 38 AD.

Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion in Achaea (Greece).  Early texts report that he was bound, not nailed, to a Latin cross of the kind on which Jesus is said to have been crucified; yet a tradition developed that Andrew had been crucified on a cross of the form called crux decussata (X-shaped cross), now commonly known as a Saint Andrew's Cross — supposedly at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus had been.

Whereas the successor of Saint Peter is referred to as the Bishop of Rome, in the Orthodox Tradition, Saint Andrew is referred to as the First-Called.  In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the successor of Saint Andrew is referred to as the Patriarch of Constantinople.  The current Patriarch (since 2 November 1991) is Bartholomew I.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Signs

Good morning everyone,

In some parts of Canada, this past summer was one of the hottest on record.  The number of forest fires hit a record high.  Even in recent months there has been catastrophic destruction in California.  To some, these might be interpreted as fulfillments of the predictions foretold by Jesus about signs in the sun, the moon and the stars (Lk 21:25).

While such predictions appear at first glance to be dire, Jesus himself offers a word of hope.  He says: when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand (Lk 21:28).

Throughout the centuries since the time of Jesus, Christians have been encouraged to follow these words of advice. In fact, it has been our continuing belief in the promise and the hope of eternal life that has allowed us to look beyond the confines of many other situations in life that might be perceived as tragic.  Instead, our belief in the resurrection of Jesus allows us to look forward in hope, holding our heads high even in the face of unexplainable signs in the skies.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Test

Good morning everyone,

It was Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits who mastered the art of discerning spirits.  Based on his work, the entire Church now benefits from the practice of listening more closely for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we attempt to seek guidance from the words and actions of Jesus.

One of the characteristics that we can often look for when seeking heavenly wisdom is that the will of God will often open possibilities for us that we ourselves could never plan.  Sometimes, it happens that following in Jesus' footsteps results in a lack of acceptance by others, even to the point where some may persecute you ... hand you over ... and put you in prison (Lk 21:12).

At times when we must face such opposition, we can often be discouraged, yet this can be precisely the time when we should remain resolute, listening ever more deeply for the whisper of divine guidance.  Jesus will always be with us; he will always listen, whenever we open our hearts and pour out our concerns; ... and he will always whisper words of reassurance and guidance as he encourages our hearts and leads us to be of service to his people.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Beauty

Good morning everyone,

From the beginning of his pontificate, our current Holy Father has continually encouraged all of us to go out.  With these two simple words, he is challenging us not to grow too accustomed to looking around us and marvelling at the things we have already accomplished, but rather urging us to continue looking beyond our own comfort zones to the situations that need our attention, and the people who are in need.

This advice might be considered a modern-day continuation of the outlook that is perceived in Saint Luke's account of Jesus' conversation with some of the people who were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings (Lk 21:5).  In response to this remark, Jesus cautioned: the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another ... (Lk 21:6).

Today, let us heed this call to not grow comfortable, but rather to remember that we have all been sent out on a mission to go out to those who are in need of help.  It is often in such encounters that we will discover the true beauty of the most precious stones that are part of the Church: the people of God, each of whom has a story to tell.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Abandon

Good morning everyone,

Anyone who has been gifted with children knows that they learn many things even before they can speak.  They learn first and foremost by watching and by imitating the example that they see in the people who surround them.  Such impressionable minds can also provide us with inspiration to do as they do.

Were Jesus' disciples surprised by the example they saw in the temple on that day when a poor widow put two small coins into the treasury (Lk 21:2)?  Perhaps there were many others going and coming.  Perhaps they didn't even notice that poor woman until Jesus pointed her out.  That's often the way that life goes for adults: we get far too caught up in what we're doing, or in our own preoccupations to be aware of things around us.

If only we could learn a lesson from the infants we have the privilege to meet, perhaps we might learn to perceive things differently.  Who knows whether we might even learn a lesson or two from the example we see in the actions of others who are able to trust so deeply and implicitly that they are able to give out of their poverty, willing to abandon themselves into the care of a loving God.

Have a great day.

Truth

On the final weekend of the liturgical year, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe.  On this day, the gospel presents the scene where Jesus was appearing before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.  This is no ordinary trial, and for this reason, we must look deeper into the scene in order to understand what is truly going on.

Pilate was a notorious figure.  He had a reputation for being particularly cruel to anyone who did not follow his orders.  Jesus stands before him, accused of having the reputation of being considered to be the king of the Jews (Jn 18:33).  It’s very interesting to watch Pilate at work.  He is a very calculating individual.  Outside the walls of his headquarters, where he meets with religious officials, he is a politician in charge of protecting the social order and negotiating with the leaders of the people he governs, but inside, he is an individual.  He meets Jesus, but is reluctant to make a judgment about who Jesus is.

Pilate’s inability to reflect the conviction of his heart in his outward appearance caused great conflict within him.  He ultimately wanted others to make important decisions for him because he was unable to be at peace with himself.  The same is true for us: if we speak one truth but believe another, we will never be able to find peace within ourselves.

Thankfully, Jesus is always willing to help us.  He came into the world in order to testify to the truth (Jn 18:37), so if we follow him, he will always lead us to the truth.  This is not always an easy journey, because we must admit that we need his help, and we must be willing to allow him to help us.  If we can get over our own insecurities, if we can learn to trust him, Jesus will always lead us to situations where we can grow in our awareness of those in our world who are truly in need, and he will always give us the words to speak so that we can comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

This is what Jesus did.  During his time here on earth, he did not seek any earthly measure of power or prestige.  Rather, he found ways to comfort the disturbed: the poor, the downtrodden, those who were neglected and those who were ignored; and he wasn’t afraid to disturb the comfortable, including the Jewish leaders and even the Roman governor.

Even today, we must bravely continue the work that Jesus began.  It is up to us to comfort those in our world who are disturbed, including those who mourn the loss of their loved ones, or those who feel powerless and unable to influence the world around them.  We must find ways to welcome the strangers who appear in our midst and do everything we can to make them feel at home.  At the same time, we must be courageous enough to dare to disturb those who have been lulled into complacency because they are too comfortable.

This the truth to which the Lord invites us; it is the truth which we must proclaim.

His Word Today: Saint Andrew Dung Lac

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions, martyrs of Vietnam.  Born Trần An Dũng in 1795, he took the name Andrew at his baptism.  On 15 March 1823, he was ordained a priest.  This was a courageous thing for him to do, for the Church was not well regarded in that part of the world at that time.

Facing much persecution, Andrew Dũng changed his name to Lạc in order to avoid capture.  Eventually though, he was executed by beheading in the reign of Minh Mạng. Pope Leo XIII Beatified Andrew on 24 November 1900 and Pope John Paul II named him a Saint on 19 June 1988.  Today, we celebrate all the Vietnamese martyrs who perished during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries because of their insistence on remaining faithful to the gospel.

From their place in heaven, may they help us today to see the world as Jesus sees it, to look lovingly on others as He does and to trust that every one of us is destined for the beauty and joy of rising to new life.

Have a great day.