Today, as we celebrate the life of St Andrew, the apostle, we might ask ourselves: What are we called to leave behind? Andrew is traditionally known as the first apostle called by Jesus. We hear about that call from the Gospel of Matthew today, as Andrew and Peter are called to leave their lives as fishermen to follow Jesus. In the version of this calling from the Gospel of John, Andrew and another disciple of John the Baptist are walking along the Jordan River when they hear John the Baptist call Jesus “the Lamb of God.” Jesus saw Andrew and the other disciple following him, so he asked them, “What are you looking for?”, and then proceeds to invite them over to where he is staying. Andrew then invites his brother Peter to see Jesus for himself. In asking Andrew what he is looking for, Jesus is looking deeply into Andrew’s soul, asking him to delve into his purpose in life, asking him if he is willing to give his life completely to God. Jesus lights a spark of faith in Andrew’s soul, a spark that grows into a life of discipleship. According to tradition, Andrew was a missionary in the countries of Ukraine and Georgia, and that he was martyred as a missionary in Greece. Andrew and Peter and the other disciples left their old lives behind to become new creations as disciples of Christ, making many sacrifices for the faith. What is the Lord asking us to leave behind as our Advent season begins this weekend, as we prepare for Christ’s birth into the world?
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