by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 4, 2021 | Evangelium
05
December
Second Sunday of Advent
Psalter II
Violet
Entrance Antiphon: Is 30: 19, 30
O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations, and the Lord will make the glory of his voice heard in the joy of your heart.
Collect
Almighty and merciful God, may no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son, but may our learning of heavenly wisdom gain us admittance to his company. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading Baruch 5:1-9
Jerusalem, take off your dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of the glory of God for ever, wrap the cloak of the integrity of God around you, put the diadem of the glory of the Eternal on your head: since God means to show your splendour to every nation under heaven, since the name God gives you for ever will be, ‘Peace through integrity, and honour through devotedness.’ Arise, Jerusalem, stand on the heights and turn your eyes to the east: see your sons reassembled from west and east at the command of the Holy One, jubilant that God has remembered them. Though they left you on foot, with enemies for an escort, now God brings them back to you like royal princes carried back in glory. For God has decreed the flattening of each high mountain, of the everlasting hills, the filling of the valleys to make the ground level so that Israel can walk in safety under the glory of God. And the forests and every fragrant tree will provide shade for Israel at the command of God; for God will guide Israel in joy by the light of his glory with his mercy and integrity for escort.
Psalm 125(126)
R/ What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.
1. When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs.
2. The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’ What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.
3. Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage as streams in dry land. Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap.
4. They go out, they go out, full of tears, carrying seed for the sowing: they come back, they come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves.
Second reading: Philippians 1:4-6,8-11
Every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present. I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes; and God knows how much I miss you all, loving you as Christ Jesus loves you. My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognise what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.
Gospel Acclamation: Lk3:4,6
Alleluia, alleluia! Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight, and all mankind shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Gospel: Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the lands of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas the word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He went through the whole Jordan district proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah: A voice cries in the wilderness: Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low, winding ways will be straightened and rough roads made smooth. And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.
Prayer over the Offerings
Be pleased, O Lord, with our humble prayers and offerings, and, since we have no merits to plead our cause, come, we pray, to our rescue with the protection of your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Bar 5: 5; 4: 36
Jerusalem, arise and stand upon the heights, and behold the joy which comes to you from God.
Prayer after Communion
Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment, we humbly beseech you, O Lord, that, through our partaking in this mystery, you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth and hold firm to the things of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The “way” spoken of in the three readings is an important biblical theme. But it could be said until John the Baptist’s preaching, men did not see very well what direction he was taking. With the coming of Jesus Christ, we now know with certainty where he is going. This unique way of salvation is presented to us as the way of the Lord. It is the road the Lord takes to come to us, as some hyperbolic images suggest. For God, the King of kings, we go so far as to lower the mountains and fill the deep valleys. This is also the road that the Lord prepares for us to walk towards him without stumbling. In this enigmatic world, where no path seems to lead to the answer to man’s great question, God has not been merely mapping out a path. With the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, he opened up as wide a path as possible, which is what the prophetic images that jostle, joyfully, under Baruch’s pen want to stammer out. However, this wide path has a very small entrance: living faith. All these interpretations are only valid if the two great witnesses of Christ, John the Baptist and Paul, are listened to. They remind us that the way requires the purification of our heart, that crossroads of life where everything can stop, but also from where we can start again regenerated by the Spirit.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 3, 2021 | Evangelium
04
December
St. Cyprian
(210 – 258)
Violet
Cyprian was born in Carthage and spent most of his life in the practice of the law. He was converted to Christianity, and was made bishop of Carthage in 249. He steered the church through troubled times, including the persecution of the emperor Decius, when he went into hiding so as to be able to continue looking after the church. In 258 the persecution of the emperor Valerian began.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 79: 4, 2
Come and show us your face, O Lord, who are seated upon the Cherubim, and we will be saved.
Collect
O God, who sent your Only Begotten Son into this world to free the human race from its ancient enslavement, bestow on those who devoutly await him the grace of your compassion from on high, that we may attain the prize of true freedom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 30:19-21,23-26
Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: People of Zion, you will live in Jerusalem and weep no more. He will be gracious to you when he hears your cry; when he hears he will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, he who is your teacher will hide no longer, and you will see your teacher with your own eyes. Whether you turn to right or left, your ears will hear these words behind you, ‘This is the way, follow it.’ He will send rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the bread that the ground provides will be rich and nourishing. Your cattle will graze, that day, in wide pastures. Oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat a salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and fork. On every lofty mountain, on every high hill there will be streams and watercourses, on the day of the great slaughter when the strongholds fall. Then moonlight will be bright as sunlight and sunlight itself be seven times brighter – like the light of seven days in one – on the day the Lord dresses the wound of his people and heals the bruises his blows have left.
Psalm 146(147):1-6
R/ Happy are all who hope in the Lord.
1. Praise the Lord for he is good; sing to our God for he is loving: to him our praise is due. The Lord builds up Jerusalem and brings back Israel’s exiles.
2. He heals the broken-hearted, he binds up all their wounds. He fixes the number of the stars; he calls each one by its name.
3. Our Lord is great and almighty; his wisdom can never be measured. The Lord raises the lowly; he humbles the wicked to the dust.
Gospel Acclamation : Is 55:6
Alleluia, alleluia! Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 9:35-10:1,5,6-8
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness. And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’ He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.’
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Rv 22: 12
Behold, I am coming soon and my recompense is with me, says the Lord, to bestow a reward according to the deeds of each.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation The Gospel today mentions Jesus’ compassion for the crowds. He felt sorry for them; they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Seeing the lack of shepherds for the people, he told his disciples to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest”. These harassed and dejected people need workers to journey with them and to lead them. Jesus invests his disciples with the authority to take care of those who are in need of comfort. We sometimes find ourselves among those harassed and dejected. We are assured of Christ’s comforting presence. At other times we may be among the workers the Lord wants to send into his harvest to journey with those who are harassed and dejected. On this note, we are called in the midst of our own darkness and uncertainty to labour beside Jesus in helping others. Christ will continue to empower us for the work he is asking us to do
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 2, 2021 | Evangelium
03
December
St. Francis Xavier
(1506 – 1552)
White
He was born in Spain, 1506 and ordained priest in 1537. In 1541 the Pope sent him as part of a mission to India, and he spent the rest of his life in the East. He died of fever and exhaustion on the Chinese island of Shangchwan in 1552.
Entrance Antiphon : Ps 17: 50; 21: 23
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will tell of your name to my kin.
Collect
O God, who through the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier, won many peoples to yourself, grant that the hearts of the faithful may burn with the same zeal for the faith and that the Holy Church may everywhere rejoice in an abundance of offspring. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Isaiah 29:17-24
The Lord says this: In a short time, a very short time, shall not Lebanon become fertile land and fertile land turn into forest? The deaf, that day, will hear the words of a book and, after shadow and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see. But the lowly will rejoice in the Lord even more and the poorest exult in the Holy One of Israel; for tyrants shall be no more, and scoffers vanish, and all be destroyed who are disposed to do evil: those who gossip to incriminate others, those who try at the gate to trip the arbitrator and get the upright man’s case dismissed for groundless reasons. Therefore the Lord speaks, the God of the House of Jacob, Abraham’s redeemer: No longer shall Jacob be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale, for he shall see what my hands have done in his midst, he shall hold my name holy. They will hallow the Holy One of Jacob, stand in awe of the God of Israel. Erring spirits will learn wisdom and murmurers accept instruction.
Psalm 26(27):1,4,13-14
R/ The Lord is my light and my help.
1. The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink?
2. There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.
3. I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Hope in him, hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord!
Gospel Acclamation: Is45:8
Alleluia, alleluia! SSend victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down. Let the earth open and bring forth the saviour. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 9:27-31
As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, ‘Take pity on us, Son of David.’ And when Jesus reached the house the blind men came up with him and he said to them, ‘Do you believe I can do this?’ They said, ‘Sir, we do.’ Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you.’ And their sight returned. Then Jesus sternly warned them, ‘Take care that no one learns about this.’ But when they had gone, they talked about him all over the countryside.
Prayer over the Offerings
Receive, O Lord, these offerings we bring you in commemoration of Saint Francis Xavier, and grant that, as he journeyed to distant lands out of longing for the salvation of souls, so we, too, bearing effective witness to the Gospel, may, with our brothers and sisters, eagerly hasten towards you. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Mt 10: 27
What I say to you in the darkness speak in the light, says the Lord, what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
Prayer after Communion
May your mysteries, O God, kindle in us that fire of charity with which Saint Francis Xavier burned for the salvation of souls, so that, walking ever more worthily in our vocation, we may obtain with him the reward you promise to those who labour well in your harvest. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
When Jesus reached the house, the blind men came up to him. Jesus, first of all, tested their faith: “Do you believe I can do this?”. They answered in faith: “Sir, we do,”. Then he touched their eyes, saying, “You deserve it, so let this be done for you,”. These blind men showed signs of a living faith. The result was clear: “And their sight returned.” The faith of the two blind men encourages us in our need for Jesus. The faith of our baptism, the presence of his Spirit in us, makes us cry out to Him: “Take Pity on us Son of David: Yes, we believe that in your light we can see the” the right way to proceed, the right path to choose, so that we can become all that God made us be – for God’s greater honour and glory.”
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Dec 1, 2021 | Evangelium
02
December
St. Ephraem the Deacon
(306 – 373)
Violet
Saint Ephraem was a poet and a theologian. He lived all his life in Mesopotamia, first founding a school and then, when the Persians invaded his native town of Nisibis, moving to Edessa. He preached there, and laid the foundations of its great school of theology.
Entrance Antiphon: Ps 118: 151-152
You, O Lord, are close, and all your ways are truth. From of old I have known of your decrees, for you are eternal.
Collect
Stir up your power, O Lord, and come to our help with mighty strength, that what our sins impede the grace of your mercy may hasten. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 26:1-6
That day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; to guard us he has set wall and rampart about us. Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in, she, the faithful one whose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace, because she trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord is the everlasting Rock; he has brought low those who lived high up in the steep citadel; he brings it down, brings it down to the ground, flings it down in the dust: the feet of the lowly, the footsteps of the poor trample on it.
Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,19-21,25-27
R/ Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes.
1. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in men; it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
2. Open to me the gates of holiness: I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank you for you have answered and you are my saviour.
3. O Lord, grant us salvation; O Lord, grant success. Blessed in the name of the Lord is he who comes. We bless you from the house of the Lord; the Lord God is our light.
Gospel Acclamation: Is40:9-10
Alleluia, alleluia! Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem. Here is the Lord God coming with power. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 7:21,24-27
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord,” who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!’
Prayer over the Offerings
Accept, we pray, O Lord, these offerings we make, gathered from among your gifts to us, and may what you grant us to celebrate devoutly here below gain for us the prize of eternal redemption. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Ti 2: 12-13
Let us live justly and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of our great God.
Prayer after Communion
May these mysteries, O Lord, in which we have participated, profit us, we pray, for even now, as we walk amid passing things, you teach us by them to love the things of heaven and hold fast to what endures. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The scriptures today talk about floods and winds, rock and sand, destruction and security. These are natural phenomena that can frighten us. Crying to God for help and addressing him with faith and hope are very necessary. However, we run the risk of ending only in lip service to God without any deep-rooted faith. Our readings today counsel us to be rooted in the Lord and to make our belief productive through acts of justice and fidelity. Jesus reminds us that houses built on sand crumble. Advent is a time to look into our spiritual foundations as individuals and as a Church. Our roots must be deep, but our feet must be free. We can only accomplish this if we are rooted in the Lord and if our feet walk the path of justice.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Nov 30, 2021 | Evangelium
01
December
Blessed Clementine Anuarite
(1939 – 1964)
Violet
Nengepeta Anuarite was born in Zaire in 1939. In 1955 she joined the Religious Institute of the “Holy Family”. In 1964 she, and the whole community, were kidnapped by the Simba rebels. Anuarite was killed on 1 December 1964, having refused to be the wife of the colonel of the rebels.
Entrance Antiphon: Hab 2: 3; 1 Cor 4: 5
The Lord will come and he will not delay. He will illumine what is hidden in darkness and reveal himself to all the nations.
Collect
Prepare our hearts, we pray, O Lord our God, by your divine power, so that at the coming of Christ your Son we may be found worthy of the banquet of eternal life and merit to receive heavenly nourishment from his hands. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading: Isaiah 25:6-10
On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines. On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death for ever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so. That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us; for the hand of the Lord rests on this mountain.
Psalm 22(23)
R/ In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.
1. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.
2. He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort.
3. You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.
4. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell forever and ever.
Gospel Acclamation: Is33:22
Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord is our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king and our saviour. Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 15:29-37
Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel. But Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven,’ they said, ‘and a few small fish.’ Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.
Prayer over the Offerings
May the sacrifice of our worship, Lord, we pray, be offered to you unceasingly, to complete what was begun in sacred mystery and powerfully accomplish for us your saving work. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon: Is 40: 10; 35: 5
Behold, our Lord will come with power and will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
Prayer after Communion
We implore your mercy, Lord, that this divine sustenance may cleanse us of our faults and prepare us for the coming feasts. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
What an adventure it must have been for all those people carrying their cripples and sick people! Jesus knew it. He expected them to take this step, to get out of their homes, to make this painstaking climb. Jesus approved this gesture of solidarity between the healthy and the infirm so that he could satisfy them beyond their hopes. Many of us are poor, sick and overwhelmed by the weight of life and in search of happiness. There is no situation desperate as it may seem, that can prevent us from approaching the One who, through our sufferings, desires, weariness, disappointment and discouragement, draws us to himself – Christ. Today, let us at least take the step that brings us closer to him.
by Jude Thaddeus Langeh | Nov 29, 2021 | Evangelium
30
November
St. Andrew the Apostle
Red
He was born in Bethsaida, in Galilee, and worked as a fisherman.
He became one of the first to follow Jesus and introduced his brother, Simon Peter, to him. He became patron saint of Scotland because according to legend some of his bones were brought and buried at the place where the town of St Andrew’s now stands.
Entrance Antiphon : Cf. Mt 4: 18-19
Beside the Sea of Galilee, the Lord saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, and he said to them: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Collect
We humbly implore your majesty, O Lord, that, just as the blessed Apostle, Andrew, was, for your Church, a preacher and pastor, so he may be for us a constant intercessor before you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First Reading : Romans 10 : 9-18
If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. By believing from the heart you are made righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved. When Scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord, who is rich enough however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But they will not ask his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they have heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Scripture says: The footsteps of those who bring Good News are a welcome sound. Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ. Let me put the question: is it possible that they did not hear? Indeed they did; in the words of the psalm, their voice has gone out through all the earth, and their message to the ends of the world.
Psalm Ps 18 : 2-5
R/ Their word goes forth through all the earth.
1. The heavens proclaim the glory of God and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands. Day unto day takes up the story and night unto night makes known the message.
2. No speech, no word, no voice is heard yet their span goes forth through all the earth, their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
Gospel Acclamation : Mt 4:19
Alleluia, alleluia! Follow me, says the Lord, and I will make you into fishers of men. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 4:18-22
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once; leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.
Prayer over the Offerings
Grant us, almighty God, that through these offerings, which we bring on the feast day of Saint Andrew, we may please you by what we have brought and be given life by what you have accepted. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Jn 1: 41-42
Andrew told his brother Simon: We have found the Messiah, the Christ, and he brought him to Jesus.
Prayer after Communion
May communion in your Sacrament strengthen us, O Lord, so that by the example of the blessed Apostle, Andrew, we, who carry in our body the Death of Christ, may merit to live with him in glory. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Meditation
The Catholic Church is built on 12 pillars which are the apostles. From generation to generation, the Word of God is passed on, so that the sons and daughters of God may receive light. St. Paul reminds us in the first reading that if you confess from your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that He rose from the dead, then you will be saved. And believing in Jesus means living by the commandments that he taught us. It also implies bearing witness to the love of Christ by being a living Bible for others. Through us, this word of life must be transmitted to future generations, as it was transmitted through the apostle Andrew we are celebrating today. Abandoning their boat, he set out to follow Christ. We are also invited to abandon everything that takes us away from Christ and to follow him.
