NETWORK DIFFICULTY

St. Andrew

Romans 10:9-18, Psalm 19:8-11, Matthew 4:18-22
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/113013.cfm

"They immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers." -Matthew 4:20

Andrew brought people to Jesus. He brought his brother Simon (Jn 1:40-42) and the young boy with five loaves and two fish (Jn 6:8-9) to Jesus. When some Greeks asked Philip to bring them to Jesus, Philip asked Andrew what to do (Jn 12:20-22). This may imply Andrew was known for bringing people to Jesus.

How many people have you had at least a part in bringing to Jesus in the last year? Like Andrew, are you known for bringing people to Jesus? Many of us have not had a good year in fishing for men and women (see Mt 4:19). We may be hardly known as Christians, much less as evangelists who bring people to Christ.

To rectify this situation, we need to do what Andrew did before he brought even one person to Christ. First of all, Andrew left his nets (Mt 4:20). To bring people to Christ, we must leave behind a "net-work" of attitudes, habits, and patterns which limit our opportunities and effectiveness in proclaiming Jesus. For example, many Christians have the attitude that our relationship with Jesus is a private matter. Most have the habit of talking about the news with no reference to Jesus. We all have patterns of disobedience in our lives where we repeatedly ignore Christ's command to witness. We must repent and change patterns of selfishness into patterns of evangelization.

Prayer: Father, recycle me so I can win as many people to Christ as possible (1 Cor 9:19).

Promise: "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." -Rm 10:9

Praise: St. Andrew led the first pope to Jesus (Jn 1:40-42).