Wantei Warlaitthma csc –
Readings: Rom 10:9-18; Mt 4:18-22
Today, the Church commemorates the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. He was one of the first to encounter Jesus by the river Jordan and engaged in a profound conversation with him. After this meeting, Andrew went to find his brother Simon, exclaiming, “We have found the Messiah,” and he brought him to Jesus (John 1:41- 42). In today’s gospel, Jesus calls these two fishermen brothers, saying, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” In the same region, there were two other brothers, James and John, who were also fishermen and friends of Simon and Andrew.
The gospel highlights their immediate response to Jesus’ call, as they left everything to follow him without hesitation. When Jesus calls us, we too must respond without delay, avoiding excuses like, “I’ll come later” or “I’m busy right now.” St. John Paul II reminds us, “We are all called to be saints,” emphasizing our responsibility to respond to God’s call in our lives. What does it mean to be “fishers of people”?
This calling is not limited to those who aspire to be priests or religious. To “fish for people” means helping those around us— within our families and workplaces—discover Christ, the true light guiding us toward the Kingdom of God. As St. John Paul II also said, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” Let us reflect on how we can embody this calling in our daily lives.