Saint Andrew
Mt 4:18-22
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Companions On the Journey
Isn’t it amazing how we find our closest friends, our spouses, our partners, or our chosen family. It feels almost perfectly scripted. I met one of my dearest friends because our parents worked together. Some 30 years later, he and I remain the best of friends.
St. Ignatius and his companions were providentially brought together in a similar way to how Matthew describes Jesus meeting his apostles. First, Jesus meets Andrew and his brother, Peter, then the gathering of apostles follows. Ignatius met his first companions in college, at the University of Paris: Peter Faber and Francis Xavier.
Our lives are not journeyed alone, we walk hand in hand with people who love us into existence. And the Holy Spirit guides each of us towards the other so that we may find Christ more intimately and more profoundly in our lives. Who has journeyed with you, helping you see Christ in your life?
—Damian Torres-Botello, SJ, is a Jesuit Scholastic of the Midwest Province studying theology at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry; he will be ordained a priest on June 10, 2023.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, who has blessed me with sincere and deep relationships, help me to always recognize your face in the love and support that surrounds me; never let me take for granted the people who impact my life. In all that we do may the glory be to you; in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
—Damian Torres-Botello, SJ