Who is this man Jesus? And why is there a continuing fascination with him even when many people think Christianity is in decline? The basic facts of his life are agreed by most historians. This is not just mythology or Christian propaganda. We’ve got more hard evidence about the life of Jesus than we have for almost anyone in the ancient world.
St John Henry Newman wrote that ‘there is no difference in kind between her and us, though an inconceivable difference of degree. She and we are both simply saved by the grace of Christ.’ But with Mary, the manner in which she was saved was exceptional: from the first moment of her existence, she was freed from the stain of Original Sin.
St Ambrose was chosen to be his city’s bishop, much to his surprise – not only was he a layman, but he was also not yet baptised: he was a catechumen preparing for baptism. He proved to be an outstanding bishop, not afraid to challenge the actions of the emperor and uncompromising in his struggle against Arianism.
Most Catholics probably don’t even know that the ubiquitous Father Christmas/Santa Claus figure has Christian origins, but St Nicholas really existed – he was a Bishop of the 4th century, known for his good works, his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his concern for the poor. He was a great defender of the Holy Trinity, and an opponent of the Arian heresy.
Francis first went to Goa in India. With the help of interpreters he spoke to poor fishermen. Tirelessly, he went from village to village to explain the faith, using a small catechism in the Tamil language. Within a few years, thousands of people asked to be baptised.
In the Gospels, Jesus’s disciples are often mentioned in groups of four, and Andrew is always in the first group. So, he was very close to Jesus. However, he seems to be the least of his group. He is always mentioned after his brother. Still, it was Andrew who met Jesus first, and then brought Peter to him (Jn 1:40-42). That gives a good idea of his entire career: like most of us he is not the first, not the most important, but he is a very faithful follower of Jesus. And he does not have a problem with this! Rather, he is happy to be with Jesus.
