“SAINT ANDREW: ‘X’ Marks the Spot”
The Saints of Advent—The End of all Things—The Christ Everlasting
Saint Matthew 4: 18-22
Advent Vespers Midweek 1: 1 December Anno Domini 2016
Father Jay Watson SSP
Correctly speaking, that is, speaking with The Word of God, Advent is not about celebrating the Nativity of The Christ-child, or even “getting ready” to do so. The Eve of The Nativity, The grand Feast on the 25th, and the following 11 days mark the revealing to the world the Incarnation of The Second Person in the womb of The Ever Virgin—which we mark on 25 March every year. No, Advent continues the theme of the last three Sundays in the Church Year into the coming new year—this year—for today is The Day of The Lord. He stands ready to rip open the heavens once again and descend with a shout; the shout of the archangel and the trumpet blast of Judgment. And His angels will gather all souls from the far ends of the earth and the dead shall rise.
Saint Andrew will rise again from the dead. And you will too if you continue to hold fast to The Faith—oh not your individual faith—that will ebb and flow and struggle and doubt and at times terrify you that it isn’t even there. No, hold fast To The Faith, He Who is The Faithful One because He is holding fast and tight upon you.
Not many babies today are named Hoglah, Dorcas, Habakkuk, or, for that matter, Mary, Martha, or Lydia. But some Christian babies are still named Andrew, hopefully in honor of the First of Christ’s chosen “12.” And if not “the” first, than certainly tied-for-first with Saint James Zebedee. Andrew according to Saint John’s Gospel was called into the presence of Jesus before the Sea of Galilee events in Saint Matthew’s Evangel.
People, usually sectarian protestants masquerading as Lutherans, whine about the fact that there isn’t much in Scripture about Saint Andrew. These bibleoloters need to remember that Our Creed confesses The Holy Catholic Church and not the latest CPH self-study door stop. Andrew was called by Jesus to be one of His very own Ambassadors…Andrew with only 13 other men have this rare honor. We do well to honor him. But we honor Saint Andrew not for his own merits, loyalty, hard work, perseverance, and indomitable Holy Spirit infused courage in the face of martyrdom…we honor Him because He preached Christ Crucified for His forgiveness and yours.
Tradition is good and should be embraced if it supports the Gospel. Tradition says Saint Andrew preached Jesus so faithfully that the wife of a wicked Roman proconsul was converted by The Holy Ghost. The husband was so consumed with satanic hatred that He ordered Saint Andrew to be crucified. The humble Galilean fisherman was baptized again. The first time in the Waters of repentance and rebirth. The second time in blood—His own—but more importantly in Jesus’ Blood and merit. Again, tradition, informs its master, the Church, that Andrew was crucified not on a Latin cross-beam but upon two pieces of wood in the shape of an English “x.” Oh how gracious, beautiful, and poignant that was. For the English “x” is in fact the Greek letter chi and is the first letter in the Title of our Lord: Christ. Saint Andrew bled and died on the Letter of Jesus’ precious name, even as the bearer of that name, Christ, the “anointed One” bled from His sacred Body and Holy, Precious Heart on Calvary to cover Andrew and all of you in the Blood of forgiveness, redemption, and peace. That is the same Blood which you drink from the Holy Chalice.
Think of all of this during Advent. The Blood of Jesus cleanses you from your trespasses; and great they are, every day, that it took the Blood of God to wash them away. Repent. Repent and look to The End of all things. All mammon, cares, concerns, idolatries, wasted time, and failure to love God perfectly or your neighbor hardly at all, much less perfectly, will be burned away in the fiery wrath of Christ’s imminent judgment. Set your affairs in order and fix your hearts, eyes, and hands on the One thing needful. Focus your spirits, which will focus your bodies, on your coming death, the Judgment of all flesh, and the realities of a heaven and hell. Work while it is day, while it is light, for the night cometh when no man can work. Your work is believing That Jesus has completed all THE Work perfectly on your behalf. Your work is His gift of receiving Him which He too has bestowed upon you by the Spirit. Hold on to Jesus in His Word. Hold on to Jesus in your + Washing. Hold on to Jesus in His Supper when He feeds you His Bloody Body and Bloody—Blood. Join Saint Andrew as fellow Saints of Advent, and pray, “come Lord Jesus!”
In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
Email the webmaster.Contact Augsburg Lutheran Church: (913) 403-6194