將臨期第一主日 (2008年11月30日)聖安德(安德肋)使徒 A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 13:33-37

主日講道 - 將臨期第一主日 (2008年11月30日)
聖安德(安德肋)使徒
恭讀聖馬爾谷福音　13:33-37那時候，耶穌說：「你們要當心，要醒寤，因為你們不知道，那日期什麼時候來到。正如一個遠行的人，離開自己的家時，把權柄交給了自己的僕人，每人有每人的 工作；又囑咐看門的，須要醒寤。所以，你們要醒寤，因為你們不知道，家主什麼時候回來：或許傍晚，或許夜半，或許雞叫，或許清晨；免得他忽然來到，遇見你 們正在睡覺。我對你們說的，我也對眾人說：你們要醒寤！」
─上主的話。
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 13:33-37
33 Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come.34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Watch therefore — for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning — 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Watch.”
—The Gospel of the Lord.
11月30日 宗徒聖安德肋 (St. Andrew, Apostle)
聖安德肋是位宗徒也是位殉道者。聖人的名字是個希臘化的字，意謂著「勇氣」。他是加里肋亞漁夫若望的兒子，同時是西滿伯多祿的兄弟。
蒙耶穌召喚前，他所追隨的是洗者若翰，居住在葛法翁。但是當他認出耶穌就是他們所期待的默西亞之後，便立即將主引薦給他的兄弟西滿伯多祿。聖人與伯多祿、雅各伯、若望在當時組成了耶穌的第一批門徒，最後甚至被選為宗徒。在耶穌的公開事件中，聖人的名字曾多次被提及；基督復活並升天後，聖人也隨同其他宗徒領受了由聖神而來的神恩。
按初期教會歷史家的記載，聖人是先在卡帕多細雅（Cappadicia）、迦拉達、彼提尼雅（Bithynia）、叔提雅（Scythia）開始他的傳教使命，而後轉往拜占廷。聖人的宣講足跡也曾履及特瑞斯（Thrace）、馬其頓、帖撒肋（Thessaly）與阿該雅（Achaea）。最後，聖人在阿該雅的帕特雷（Patrae）領受了殉道冠冕。相傳他是在羅馬官長Aegeas的命令下，被判處X形的十字架之刑。事實上，聖人並非是被處以釘刑，而是被綁在十架上受折磨而死的，因此，受苦的時間可能更長。一般相信聖人是在尼祿皇帝任內，也就是主後60年的11月30日殉道的。
St. Andrew, Apostle
Feastday: November 30
Andrew, like his brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman. He became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, "what do you seek?" When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, Our Lord replied, "Come and see." Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah.
From then on, he chose to follow Jesus. Andrew was thus the first disciple of Christ. Next, Andrew brought his brother Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus and Jesus received him, too, as His disciple. At first the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs, but later, the Lord called them to stay with Him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time, they left their nets for good. It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Two countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron - Russia and Scotland.