Today is the feast of St. Andrew, Apostle—and brother
of St. Peter. Andrew’s feast usually falls in Advent, but this year it precedes
it by two days.
As we enter into these last days of the Church Year, it is a
good time to think about the foundations of that year, especially the mystery
of our salvation.
By tradition, Andrew was martyred through crucifixion
on an X-shaped cross. What follows is a meditation on that scene, as written by
the great preacher, teacher, and biblical scholar Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard
recalls it in detail, especially the aspect of the story about St. Andrew going
joyfully—and without fear—to his cross. This portion of his sermon is focused on the reason for St. Andrew's attitude toward suffering and death.
Bernard reminds us we are in essence no different from
St. Andrew. We must each take up our own cross, not in our own strength, but in
the strength of God. When we do this, we find that the cross is not the source
of shame and foolishness the world sees, but the unique and holy access point
to the unlimited Power of God. In this way, St. Andrew’s story is a constant
source of encouragement to us in our own struggles.
From a Sermon by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot
Today we celebrate the feast
of St. Andrew. If we attentively meditate upon it, we shall find in it much
food for our spirit.
You must have noticed that
St. Andrew, when he came to the place where the cross was prepared, was
strengthened in the Lord and started uttering fiery words, being inspired by
the Spirit whom he had received together with the other apostles, in the form
of tongues of fire. His mouth spoke from the abundance of the heart, and the
charity that burned in him gave ardor to his voice.
And what did St. Andrew say
when he saw the cross that been put up for him? “O cross,” he said, “long
desired and now offered to my soul’s desires! I come to you full of joy and
assurance. Receive me then with gladness, for I am the disciple of him who hung
from your arms.”
Whence then came to that man
such astonishing joy and exultation? Where did he, so frail a creature, get so
much constancy? Where did he get so spiritual a soul, so fervent a charity, and
so strong a will? Let us not imagine he got that great courage from himself. It
was the perfect gift issued from the Father of lights, from him who alone
produces marvels. It was the Holy Spirit who came to help his weakness and
filled his soul with the charity strong as death, and even stronger than death.
May it please God to make us
share in that Spirit! For if now the effort of conversion is painful to us, and
if we are vexed by watchings, the only reason is our spiritual indigence. If
the Spirit were present to us, he surely would come to help our weakness. What
he has done for St. Andrew when he faced the cross and death, he would do also
for us: removing from the labor of our conversion its painful character, he
would render it desirable and even delicious. “My Spirit, says the Lord, “is
sweeter than honey,” so much so that the most bitter death could not lessen its
sweetness.
We must take up our cross
with St. Andrew, or rather with him whom he himself has followed, the Lord, our
Savior. The cause of his joy and his exultation was that he died not only with
him, but like him, and that he was so intimately united to his death and to his
sufferings that he would also reign with him.
Let us too listen, with the
ears of our heart, to the voice of the Lord who invites us to share his cross:
“If any wish to be my followers, they must deny themselves and take up their
cross, and follow in my steps.” For our salvation is found on the cross,
provided we courageously are attached to it. “The message of the cross,” the
Apostle [Paul] tells us, “is complete absurdity to those who are headed for
ruin, but to us, who are experiencing salvation, it is the power of God.”
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, [1153]
from the Second Sermon for the Feast of
St. Andrew
Collect for the Feast of St. Andrew
Almighty God, who gave such
grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus
Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your Holy
Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his
gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and for ever. Amen.
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