Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
MT 4: 18-22
I’ve been
fishing a few times in my life. When I
was little, I went camping with my mom and brother and we did get into a
rowboat and actually fish. Mostly what I
remember about fishing were the worms that we had to put on the hooks. Not too pleasant to a little girl. There are different types of fishing. One is that image of sitting in a rowboat out
in a vast lake with little around. One
is fly fishing, which my friend John at John Carroll University says is a whole
different ballgame. The other is
commercial, the kind where you cast your nets.
Today’s
Gospel from Matthew (4:18-22), gives us the story of Simon (Peter), Andrew,
James, and John who are called by Jesus to join Him. They were all fisherman and Jesus came upon
them as they were casting their nets. I
can imagine all of them, hauling nets and fish out of the sea. And I can imagine their surprise as Jesus
asks them to follows Him and be fishers of people. Their father Zebedee must have thoughts they
were crazy to get up and leave it all.
The Gospel story does not share how they were feeling, what they
experienced, what emotions they had. But
we can imagine that in the story.
Perhaps they were awed, frightened, or even joyous and excited. Perhaps Zebedee was angry or maybe he was thrilled
that Jesus called his own people.
As I reflect
on the Gospel and on my experience of fishing, I share a few elements. First, if you are in a boat, fishing by
yourself or perhaps with friends, one thing you experience is the silence. You have to be quiet when you fish so you
don’t scare the fish away. You also have
to be patient. It is a good way to pray
about Advent – finding some moments of quiet and stillness, and yes perhaps
even patience, to reflect on the story of the birth of Jesus and on your part
in that story.
Second, when
you are fishing, you are experiencing God’s beauty and creation. As Pope Francis points out in his encyclical Laudato Si’, “nothing in the world is
indifferent to us” and so as we experience creation, whether it be in fishing
or in a walk in a forest, we imagine how we treat creation. This is also a good way to pray during
Advent. How do we treat the creation
around us and care for it, just as Jesus was born to care for us.
Finally,
imagine the enormity of working with a fishing crew and lots of outrageously
huge nets. I can imagine myself trying
to cast those nets out into the water and bring back the bounty of the
sea. But I can also imagine casting my
own net wider than that. As Peter,
Andrew, James, and John were called to cast their wide nets for people who
would be followers of Christ, how do I cast my own net wide enough to include
all those people around me? Given the
injustices and murder and trouble in today’s world, how am I a welcoming
presence to those who are different than me?
And in praying about Advent, how can I be like that wide eyed baby Jesus
– loving all who I place my eyes upon.
How can I see Christ in everyone I encounter – no matter what color,
status, religion, or state in life?
As we enter
the first week of Advent, let’s think about these reflections and include them
in our prayer. How can I find moments of
quiet, solitude, and yes patience with myself and others? How do I treat the creation that is around
me? And how do I welcome the stranger
into my life, just as the disciples welcomed the stranger Jesus?
Sue
Chawszczewski is the Director of
Campus Ministry.
