Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
(Celebrated 30 November)


Jesus calls Andrew to be an Apostle - by GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico - from Cappella Sistina, Vatican

 

Matthew 4:18-22

As Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee He watched two brothers, Simon now known as Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea. They were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after Me and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately abandoned their nets and became His followers. He walked along farther and caught sight of two other brothers, James, Zebedee's son, and his brother John. They too were in their boat, getting their nets in order with their father, Zebedee. He called them, and immediately they abandoned boat and father to follow Him.

 

Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle

s_andrew.jpg (119084 bytes)

The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew -
by RIBERA, Jusepe de -
from Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
 

A former disciple of Saint John the Baptist, it was the Galilean Saint Andrew who introduced his brother Simon to Our Lord (John 1:40-42). Andrew first met Jesus when the Messiah was baptized by the Baptizer at the River Jordan. Because he was the first, the Greeks called him the "Protoclete" or "first-called." After introducing his brother, whom Jesus called "Simon Cephas " ("Simon Peter") - the rock, both brothers followed Jesus throughout His public ministry. Fishermen by trade, Jesus promised to make them fishers of men: "Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men ", (Matthew 4:19).

After the Ascension, Andrew traveled to Scythia and Greece to preach the Gospel. Tradition says he was martyred at Patras, Acaia in southern part of Greece around the year 60 A.D. He was crucified on an X-shaped cross which ultimately came to be known as Saint Andrew's Cross. In 357 A.D. his relics were brought to Constantinople to reside there. It was the beginning of intense devotion to this saint within the Byzantine Church. This great devotion was one reason Pope Paul VI, in an ecumenical gesture, returned the relics to Patras in 1964 after they had resided in Amalfi, Italy since 1208 A.D. with Andrews skull in Rome since 1462 A.D. Andrew is the patron saint of both Russia and Scotland where legend persists that Andrew was spirited to both places, as well as Poland, to preach the gospel.