My mother and father were married on the Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle. They wanted to get married before Advent began and without any fuss so my Dad had been to see the Archbishop (my Dad was captain of his tennis team in college and had often played tennis with the Archbishop) and so they were able to keep the marriage secret. My mother was the only daughter and my Dad the only son and the oldest with five sisters behind him so they would not have let them have a quiet wedding. They were married at an early Mass with only one couple chosen among all their friends to be witnesses. They kept the marriage secret until Christmas when my Dad knew there was going to be a notice in the paper that he had bought a house and so they told their families. It must have been a shock but brought joy to all.
Anyway, I never forget this anniversary and was able to get back from Chile in time for their golden jubilee! That was over thirty years ago, but it does not seem that long.
I have a quote from Thomas Merton that I do not think I have shared with you, although I have been meaning to do so.
"We do not exist for ourselves alone, and it is only when we are fully convinced of this fact that we begin to love ourselves properly and thus also love others. What do I meant by loving ourselves properly? I mean, first of all, desiring to live, accepting life as a very great gift and a great good, not because of what it gives us, but because of what it enables us to give to others."
St. Andrew is mostly known for being Peter's brother; John's Gospel tells us that Jesus called Andrew first and then Andrew told his brother about Jesus. Maybe he is the saint to pray to when we want to bring others to Jesus.
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