WHAT'S WITH YOUR NAME?

Painting of St. Andrew 

the Apostle,

by Artus Wolffort, 

1581-1641

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Andrew the Apostle is, "What's With Your Name?"

At the beginning of the baptismal ceremony for a baby,  the priest or deacon asks the parents, "What name do you give your child?"

I always like to ask, "Is there a special reason for this name?" "Is there a grandparent with that name or what have you?"  

In other words, "Why this name?" Basically I'm asking, "What's With Your Name?" Hence: the title of this homily.

Sometimes parents just like the sound of the name - like yesterday - I baptized a little baby girl: "Serena."  It was Serena Cassandra. Serena as in serene. Nice.

I once read: when picking the name of a child, go out on the back porch and scream, "Serena ... or Charlie ... get in here."  If it sounds right, go for it.

TODAY - NOVEMBER 30th

Today, November 30th, is the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. Every year on this day folks say to me, "Happy Feast Day."

I used to say, "I wasn't named after St. Andrew the Apostle, but St. Andrew Avellino - because I was born on his feast day." I just say, "Thank you." 

Lucky for me, I like the name Andrew. I'm glad I didn't get Avellino for a middle name. 

Yet I like St. Andrew Avellino. And I didn't like that he was dumped from the church calendar and replaced by St. Leo - the Great - a pope. So I prefer St. Andrew Avellino over Pope Leo - even though Leo got the added title - "The great."

St. Andrew Avellino was an Italian priest and preacher and writer. His dates were 1521  to 1608. He's the Patron Saint of Naples and Sicily. Our founder of the Redemptorists - St. Alphonsus Liguori was a big Neapolitan Saint. Moreover, Alphonsus like St. Andrew Avellino - was both a canon and civil lawyer. St. Alphonsus started the Redemptorists in 1732 - and in 1731 - the letters of St. Andrew Avellino were published in Naples. If you read St. Alphonsus, you'll notice that he liked  to quote Andrew Avellino. 

ANDREW JACKSON

Next at my baptism my dad added to that Andrew, the name, "Jackson" - the 7th president of the United States - and the guy on the 20 dollar bill. 

Andrew triggered Jackson....

He told me there was a story that was heard from the pulpits in Ireland while growing up - that the 7th president of the United States - would have been Catholic - if there were more priests from Ireland who would have gone to Southern United States. Not enough went, so many Irish Catholics lost their Catholic faith as a result. I've thought at times, "Maybe I should have asked to work in the south. I had asked to go to Brazil - but didn't get that. Would have I been stationed in our Richmond vice province if I had asked to go there?"

BACK TO ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE

Now, even though I like St. Andrew Avellino, I do like the apostle Andrew. 

But the gospel story I like is from the Gospel of John - not the one I just read from the Gospel of Matthew. 

In Matthew he's with his brother Peter and Jesus walks along the edge of the Lake of Galilee and calls these 2 brothers to come with Jesus to fish for people.  In the Gospel of John, he's the one who meets Jesus first and asks Jesus some questions - hangs with Jesus for a while - and the next day says to his brother Peter, "We have found the messiah. Let me bring you to meet him."

I like to see Andrew as the patron saint of bringing people to Jesus.

I want to do that with my life.

I like to hear in people's conversion story about how someone at work or some stranger - got some person - to come to Jesus. 

That would be enough.

CONCLUSION

Today on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle I'm asking you, "What's with your name? Why did those who named you, choose your name?"

I'd also challenge all of us to bring people to Jesus like St. Andrew the Apostle did. Amen.