The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew,
Painted by Mattia Preti (1613-1699),
Fresco painting,
Painted circa 1650
© Sant’Andrea della Valle, Rome / Alamy
The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew,
Painted by Mattia Preti (1613-1699),
Fresco painting,
Painted circa 1650
© Sant’Andrea della Valle, Rome / Alamy
Andrew met his brother and said to him ‘We have found the Messiah’
John 1:35-42
As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early next morning, Andrew met his brother and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ – which means the Christ – and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John; you are to be called Cephas’ – meaning Rock.
Reflection on the Altar Painting
In today’s Gospel reading we hear how Andrew became the first disciple of our Lord. He had been a disciple of John the Baptist looking for the Messiah. Once Andrew met Jesus, that was it! He followed Jesus. This is thus an important scene, as it shows the first disciple joining Jesus. BUT it is about more than that. Even before Jesus would tell his disciples that he would make them fishers of men, Andrew took his own initiative, went home, and convinced his brother, Simon Peter, to follow Christ too… Andrew started immediately, on the day itself that he met Jesus, to bring people to Christ. And where did Andrew start finding the second disciple? At home… no need to look far afield or to have grand plans: evangelisation starts right at home.
The photograph is the interior of Sant’ Andrea della Valle in Rome. On my day off, on Thursdays, I often go there. The depiction of Saint Andrew (illustrated here) by Mattia Preti from 1650 at the very end of the Church, is very dramatic. Tradition says that Andrew preached in Jerusalem and was crucified for preaching against idolatry. He was hung on a cross in the shape of an X, supposedly at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus. Andrew’s hands were bound with rope and not nailed. He died slowly of hunger and exhaustion. Mattia Preti painted the nave of the Church in 1650 and our scene is further flanked on either side by The Erection of the Cross and The Entombment. My father was called Andrew. He sadly died when I was 18 and so Saint Andrew holds a special place in my own heart.
Also, in our reading today, we hear the very first words spoken by Jesus as accounted by the Gospel of John… These words are not about teaching, or learning, or challenging…. Jesus is simply asking a question…: ‘What are you looking for?’… A good question to meditate upon today, at the start of this new year.
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La fuerza Luminosa de San Juan Bautista fue el medio que Dios usó para atraer a Andrés y prepararlo para ir a Jesús y presentar a Éste el candidato justo a Primer Papa.
Le encomendamos nuestras vidas y sobre todo al Papa Francisco.
Evangelizar en casa es lo primero. Qué gran responsabilidad la de los padres de familia, dar ejemplo y evangelizar. Y los abuelos también, ayudar a evngelizar a los nietos. Que San Andrés interceda por nosotros!
Prayer to St. Andrew
O Glorious Saint Andrew,
you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God.
With your friend Saint John you remained
with Jesus for that first day,
for your entire life, and now throughout eternity.
As you led your brother Saint Peter to Christ and many others after him,
draw us also to Him.
Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for Him
and dedication in His service.
Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross
and to carry our daily crosses without complaint
so that they may carry us to Jesus.
Thank you for sharing this lovely prayer with us.
Beautiful prayer.
What a lovely prayer! Thank you.
These first words of Jesus in John are so thought provoking. Jesus often asks questions of people in the Gospel, and maybe I am going to start reading those questions more often. Our relationship with God is a two way conversation for sure. Of course, Jesus knows what we want and often we will stumble at this question because we don’t know. All we can do is think we know. I have been wrong so many times thinking I knew what I wanted. How wrong I was! Andrew asks Jesus where He lives and is told to, ‘Come and see.’ We think we know where He lives- but until we ask that He lives in us we will constantly be looking. Thank you for sharing this painting which you know well, Patrick. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be surrounded by this wonderful art all the time! And thank you for such a thought provoking reflection- it will give me much to think and pray about today.
Thank you. Your words of “I have been wrong so many times thinking I knew what I wanted” resonate I think with most of us… On my way to discerning my vocation to the priesthood, I have often come across the same feelings that I thought I knew what I wanted, but then God kept pulling me in a different direction…. and then finally I gave in 🙂
There is no point in resisting! I am so glad you gave in.
“waar woont U?” “Kom en zie,” antwoordde Hij; zo gingen zij heen en zagen, waar Hij woonde. Vroeger zou men steevast antwoorden : ga naar een Kerk. Daar veel kerken een andere bestemming gaan krijgen …. moeten wij het antwoord aanpassen aan onze tijd. Welke is het beste antwoord ?
Dank u wel Guy.
Niet makkelijk dit te beantwoorden… We moeten ons aanpassen AAN de tijd, maar niet VAN de tijd zijn… Onze boodschap is eeuwig en overstijgt elke tijd. Maar we moeten we een evenwicht hebben en toch goed de boodschap kunne overbrengen in de tijd waarin we leven.
It is a loaded question. Before you go any further, know your heart’s desire.
I always think that is the strangest exchange. Jesus asks the simple question “What do you want?” but in response it’s as if they were embarrassed at such directness, so couldn’t think of what to say and just sort of mumbled “…where do you live?” It’s quite amusing really.
I do think I’d also be a bit lost for words encountering Our Lord like that…
Rejouissez-vous car vos noms sont inscrits dans les cieux. Luc 10,20
Chercheurs de Dieu nous le sommes, ne nous trompons pas de chemin.
Merci Yvon pour vos mots.
Thank you Patrick. I have seen this painting. Evangelisation at home indeed.
I heard that St. Andrew’s friends gained permission to have him pardoned. He died as they were taking him down from the cross. Does anyone else know of this? Is there authentication anywhere?
I didn’t know that, very interesting indeed.
I must have heard and read that question of Jesus, but today I heard it in a new way. I guess when any of us approaches Jesus, this is what he asks.
Thank you, Patrick. You link Jesus’ simple question with the idea that evangelisation starts at home. That is so helpful.
Thank you Sandy.