Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame.

As Christians, we are called to profess our faith through our words and works. The people who hear and see us should know without a doubt we are Christians by our expressions and acts of love and mercy. And if we do these things, we will never be put to shame. No persecution, mocking, failure, disrespect, or other suffering will be able to touch us because our hearts will be protected as long as they remain true to God and believe in the promise of eternal life. It is this belief in the resurrection that sparks us to action and to sacrifice for God and for others.

Do we confess that Jesus is Lord through word and deed? Do we believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead? Do we trust that no matter what might happen to us God will never allow us to be put to shame?

O Lord, we believe in you with our whole hearts.

Amen.