On Saint Andrew · §5 · Hesychius of Jerusalem

What the Apostles Left Behind

…good judgment of the apostles. For they left what they had; the livelihood they had, this they disregarded. Their nets were their whole treasure and their whole wealth, for their living lay in their dragnets; the catch of fish fed their hopes of life. Yet they left even these. They did not say to themselves: 'This man tells us nonsense and idle tales; he promises to make us fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Where is there such a net? Where is a dragnet able to catch such a prey? What lake, what sea will bring men to our nets? What profit will the catch bring? Where shall we use the catch once it is caught?' But heeding the one who called them, made firm by faith, and…

Greek

τῶν ἀποστόλων εὐγνωμοσύνην· ὅπερ γὰρ εἶχον ἀφῆκαν, ἣν εἶχον ἀφορμὴν τοῦ βίου ταύτην ὑπερεῖδον. Ὅλος ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ θησαυρὸς καὶ ὅλος ὁ πλοῦτος τὰ δίκτυα· τὴν γὰρ ζωὴν ἐν σαγήναις εἶχον· ἡ τῶν ἰχθύων ἄγρα τὰς ἐλπίδας τοῦ βίου ἔτρεφεν. Οἱ δὲ ἀφῆκαν καὶ ταῦτα, οὐκ εἶπον πρὸς ἑαυτούς· λήρους ἡμῖν οὗτος καὶ μύθους περιττοὺς διαλέγεται, ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων καταστῆσαι ἐπαγγέλλεται. Καὶ ποῦ τοιοῦτον δί κτυον; Ποῦ σαγήνη τοιαῦτα δυναμένη θηρᾶν; Τίς δὲ λίμνη, τίς δὲ θάλασσα ἀνθρώπους ἡμῖν τοῖς δικτύοις προσφέρουσα; Τί δὲ τὸ κέρδος τῆς θήρας ἔσται; Ποῦ τὴν θήραν μετὰ τὴν θήραν χρησόμεθα; Ἀλλὰ τῷ καλοῦντι προσέχοντες καὶ τῇ πίστει βεβαιωθέντες καὶ

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A fresh English translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem’s sermon in praise of the apostle Andrew, the first to be called, who brought his brother Peter to Christ.

Hesychius of Jerusalem (fl. c. 412–450), a priest of the church of Jerusalem, preached this homily in praise of the apostle Andrew. It opens with a call to sound the trumpet for the feast. Andrew, called before all the others, is the apostolic trumpet who gives all a share in grace.

Andrew told Peter, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:41), though he had heard John say only "Behold the Lamb of God." Hesychius asks where the one found had been lost, and answers from the prophets. David took pride in seeking God, and Hosea foretold healing after two days and rising on the third day, fulfilled when Christ rose and the women found him at dawn.

Hesychius then turns to Christ's first preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matthew 4:17), and to the call of Simon and Andrew by the Sea of Galilee. The fishermen left their nets without doubting the promise to make them fishers of men. The homily closes with a prayer that the apostles' light may shine into our minds, so that we may become fish in their heavenly net, choice fare for the Master's table.

Fresh English translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem's In sanctum Andream, made from the Greek of PG 93, the base text. No English version was used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 93 (Greek)

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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