“And He Stayed With Him That Day”

Tucked away at the end of November and the beginning of Advent, is the Feast of St. Andrew, an Apostle, a martyr, a great evangelizer, and a great friend of the Lord. I never paid much attention to St. Andrew before, but in that weird year of 2020, he quietly slipped into my life as a great witness and intercessor. Here are highlights (and lowlights) of St. Andrew’s life which I think we can all learn from:

1. St. Andrew is sometimes referred to as the “Protoklete” meaning the “first called.” Originally a disciple of St. John the Baptist, Andrew was present when St. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1: 36). Andrew and John (John the Beloved, not the Baptist) then began following after Jesus. Jesus addressed them, “What are you looking for?” Jesus still addresses this question to each of us: what are you looking for? Andrew and John reply with a question: “Rabbi, where are you staying?” Which Jesus answered with a simple, yet life changing invitation: “Come and see.” The Gospel tells us: “and they stayed with Him that day”. Andrew didn’t sign up for a lifetime of following Jesus right away, he didn’t know all the suffering this might bring, he didn’t know the great joy Jesus might bring. He just stayed with Him that day. And the next day. And the next day. Everyday for three years, and ultimately, for the rest of his life. Andrew made the decision to accept the Lord’s invitation in one moment, and he renewed that yes everyday. 

2. Andrew constantly brings others to Jesus. The same day that Andrew met Jesus for the first time, he ran to tell his own brother, Peter: “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. Peter became the first pope, the leader of the Apostles and the early Church. Yet Andrew trusted his own relationship with the Lord, he trusted that the Lord loved him and wanted him on His mission just as much as He wanted Peter there. Peter was the first person Andrew humbly and joyfully led to Christ, but he was certainly not the last. Andrew was the one who found the young boy with the loaves and fishes in the crowd of thousands and trusted that Jesus could do something great with very little (John 6: 8). Later in the Gospel, when some Greeks want to meet Jesus, they first ask Philip’s help, and Philip takes them to Andrew who in turn goes and tells Jesus (John 12: 20-22) . Andrew was not selfish in his friendship with the Lord, He wanted everyone else to share this friendship too, starting with those closest to him.

3. Andrew ran from the cross once. He was one of eleven disciples not present for Jesus’ Passion and death on the cross. For whatever reason, maybe fear, disappointment, sadness, or shame, Andrew was not at Calvary as Jesus died for him and for each of us. Andrew’s story of following the Lord began with “and he stayed with Him that day.” Yet on this most important day, Andrew was nowhere to be found. We have records of Peter’s reconciliation with the Lord after Peter’s denials. I wonder if Andrew had a similar moment of reconciliation with Jesus after abandoning Him in His Passion? I wonder if Andrew struggled with regret from not being there. Whatever the case, we do know that Andrew returned to the Lord, and returned to sharing Him with others. I wonder how grateful Andrew must have been to celebrate the Mass, knowing that although he once chose not to stay at the foot of the cross, he now stood at the foot of the cross at every Mass. Andrew preached the Gospel after Pentecost, traveling far and wide like the other Apostles. He is most known for preaching in Greece where he was eventually arrested and sentenced to death, death on a cross. Legends say Andrew went singing to his cross and literally embraced it. He who once ran from the Lord’s suffering, now rejoiced to have a share in that suffering. Though Andrew was not present at Jesus’ cross, Jesus was certainly present at Andrew’s cross, and Andrew knew it, and rejoiced in it.

St. Andrew, close friend of Jesus, humble in following, constant in evangelizing, joyful in suffering, pray for us.

Questions for Reflection or Discussion:

• How can you follow St. John the Baptist’s instruction to Andrew: “Behold the Lamb of God” more fully this week? 

• If Jesus looked at you and asked: “what are you looking for?” What would your honest answer be?

• Who in your family or closest circle of friends needs to hear that the Messiah has come? How can you share that news with them? 

• What cross or suffering are you running from? Might the Lord be inviting you to share in His suffering?