HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
HOMILY THEME: THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH
BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon
HOMILY:
(Mt. 4:18-22)
In the day’s Gospel, Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle, Jesus calls His first followers in the person of the brothers Simon and Andrew. Soon after, their fellow fishermen in Galilee followed. It must have been a very attractive and strong call because they abandoned their nets and followed Jesus. Remember that they had families and fishing was their main source of livelihood. What was it they saw in Jesus? What did they feel? Jesus’ person and words may have been so credible and convincing. It was not improbable that they saw the Messiah in Him. Only His being the son of a carpenter and a resident of Nazareth put some doubt in them. Nevertheless, they had enough reason to heed Jesus’ call to become fishers of men from being fishermen. Andrew was quite old at that time. But it did not stop him from following Jesus.
As Jesus said in the Gospel yesterday, many prophets and kings had waited to see and hear the coming of the Messiah. But they were in vain. Andrew, dis not want to miss the opportunity in case Jesus was the One they were waiting for. And he was right. He met the Messiah!
We are in the season of Advent. We have four Sundays to prepare. Our calendar dates the coming of the Lord on the 25th of December. It is drawing very near. Do we prepare seriously for His coming? Do we do everything and leave no stone unturned so that we will be there when He comes? There should be nothing which can go us and the Lord’s coming. Let not the trimmings of “commercial Christmas” distract us. Someone is coming. That Someone is the Lord. Let us stay awake and be prepared always.
