(Rm.10:9-18; Ps.19:2-5; Mt.4:18-22) "How beautiful are the feet of those who announce good news!" Alleluia! We must have "faith in the heart" and "confess with [our] lips that Jesus is Lord"; but how can we believe in Him and call on Him if we have not heard of Him? "And how can [we] hear unless there is someone to preach? And how can men preach unless they are sent?" Thank the Lord that He has sent the apostles out to the ends of the earth, that "their voice has sounded over the whole earth." Where would we be without them? "Come after me and I will make you fishers of men," Jesus says to His first apostles, two brothers. And two brothers Jesus chooses after them, as if He is looking for brothers to call to emphasize our solidarity with Him and with one another. Indeed, we are family in the Lord. We are His mother and His brothers. David's psalm today speaks of Him who would be called his Son, and illustrates the work of His brothers to come. All are one in Him, through time, through space… for He who is the beginning and end truly becomes our brother. I thank God today for Andrew and his brother Peter, their brothers James and John, and all brothers and sisters in the Lord. I thank God especially for their answering His call, their readiness to respond. "They immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers." And so strong in the Lord they would become. And so clearly their words would be spoken of Him who is risen from the dead, of Him in whom our hearts trust – of Him of whom we now speak. A joy fills me this day, and should fill us all, for the beauty of the apostles and of their call. For now our ears ring with the love of our Jesus, the truth of the ages. Now through these faithful disciples we have heard "the word of Christ" and find it abiding in our souls. Let us open our mouths and proclaim Him Lord of all! Written, read & chanted by James Kurt; produced by Roger Fortney. Music by Roger Fortney; used by permission. ******* O LORD, let us follow where the apostles lead, for they follow in our Savior's footsteps. YHWH, help us to abandon our hearts, to leave our moorings in this world that we might follow your Son, that He might lead us to the shores of Heaven. And help us to preach as your apostles have preached, to speak of your salvation to all men, that indeed the message of the Gospel may reach to the ends of the earth and all souls come to believe. O LORD, Jesus has been raised from the dead – let us believe in our hearts that He lives now and confess with our lips that He is Lord, and by our faith we shall be saved and bring others to redemption. The voice of your apostles has indeed gone out to the limits of the world; all peoples are now blessed to hear your Word and so are given the opportunity to believe. May all souls turn resolutely to your Son and follow Him in His way. On the shores of Galilee first came the call from the mouth of Jesus. May He speak to our hearts, LORD, even this day, that we might leave all for your kingdom.