What Andrew And Simon Peter Left — How much did the poor fishermen leave behind? Someone may wonder: At the Lord’s beckoning, what or how much did these two fishermen, who scarcely had anything, leave behind?
Oh this my beloved , we should attned to one’s intention rather than one’s wealth. That person has left behind a lot who keeps nothingf or himself, who thous he ahas little, gives up everythgin.
We tend to be attached to those things we own, and those we scarcely own, we carefully hold on to.
Therefore Pter and Andrew left much behind when they left behind covetousness and the very desire to own. That person has left much behind who renounces with the thing owned the very coveting of that thing.
Therefore those poor who followed Jesus left behind jus as much as those less who did not follow him but were able to covet.
So when you notice that some have left a great deal behind, you need not say to yourself, ‘I want to imitate those who disdain the world but sorry, I have nothing to leave behind.’
You will leave much behind, my brothers if you renounce earthly desires.
External things, however small they may be, are sufficient for the Lord, since he looks at the heart and not at our material goods.
Nor does He judge by how much is involved in our sacrifice but from how much it is made. For if we judge by external goods, our holy merchants traded in their nets and vessels for the perpetual life of the angels.
Saint Gregory the Great
Saint Gregory the Great lived from 540 to 604 becoming pope in 590. The Gregorian chant is attributed to him.
Courtesy of Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church of Swarthmore.
What Andrew And Simon Peter Left
