Feast of Saint Andrew, Apostle
Feast of Saint Andrew celebrated in the community of the Church is a reminder that every disciple of Jesus Christ is sent to the world to proclaim the Gospel. To fulfill this mission, bravery is required (Greek, andreia means bravery), hence the name Andrew can be translated as brave. Andrew preached the Gospel in Pontus and Bithynia (Asia Minor), in Thrace (today's Bulgaria), and finally in Greece, Epirus and Achaia. In special way He is remembered in the Eastern Church, of which he is the patron. As a sign of reconciliation with the Orthodox Church, the Holy Father Paul VI in 1964 handed over to the Greeks the relic of the Apostle's head.
We know that St. Andrew was from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. He lived with his older brother - St. Peter - and his mother-in-law in Capernaum. We learn about this fact from the Gospel: Mk 1: 21, 29-30. Like his brother, he was a fisherman. At first, he was a disciple of John the Baptist. Under his influence, he followed Christ when he was baptized in the Jordan River. We also know that Andrew was the one who brought Peter to Jesus: “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So, they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed)”. (J 1: 35-41).
Andrew was the first disciple called by Jesus as an Apostle.
The apostles Andrew, John, and Peter, however, did not immediately permanently join the crowds walking with Christ. After their first meeting near the Jordan, they returned to Galilee for their daily activities. We can suspect that they were quite wealthy fishermen since they had their own boats and nets. The second time Christ called them while they were working, and from that moment they stayed with him until His death and Ascension. About this extraordinary meeting at Lake Gennesaret and the repeated call of the Apostles St. Matthew writes: “As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called 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.” At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Mt 4: 18-20).
St. Luke adds one more important detail to this description; emphasizes the fact that the appointment of the Apostles was accompanied by the miraculous phenomenon of the rich catch of fish (Lk 5: 1-11). In this way, Jesus wanted to strengthen the faith in his first disciples that he truly is who he claims to be, that he is the long-awaited Messiah - the Son of the Living God. In the Gospels St. Andrew appears two more times: at the moment when Jesus, before the miraculous multiplication of the bread, asked Philip: “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many? (cf. J 6:5. 8-9)
and when he mediates in the request that the Gentiles may also see Christ and come into direct contact with him: “Now there were some Greeks among those who had come toworship at the feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.” (J 12: 20-22).
In the catalog of the Apostles, he is mentioned in the second (Mt and Lk) or fourth (Mk) place. Throughout the entire period of Jesus' public activity, he belonged to his immediate circle. In the house of Andrew and Peter in Capernaum, Christ stopped many times. Andrew was an eyewitness of the miracle at Cana (Jn 2: 1-12) and the miraculous multiplication of the bread (Jn 6: 8-15).
Origen claims that St. Andrew, after Pentecost, that is, when the Apostles began their mission, worked in Scythia, in a country located between the Danube and the Don. So, it would be the Apostle of the Slavs, were supposed to be their original roots. According to St. Jerome St. Andrew also preached the gospels in Pontus, Cappadocia and Bithynia, from where he went to Achaia. The same view is shared by Theodoret, who claims that St. Andrew went from Scythia to Thrace and Epirus. All sources agree that St. Andrew ended his life as a martyr in Patras (in the Peloponnese next to the Gulf of Corinth) in Achaia, on the cross.
The letter X, which reflects the shape of the cross on which the Apostle Andrew died, is the first letter of Christ's name in Greek (from Χρήστος - Christos, meaning Anointed One). Orthodox believe that St. Andrew suffered for three days, because he was tied to the cross, not nailed - in this way they wanted to prolong his suffering. All this time, in the presence of the crowd, he professed faith in Christ, he instructed the gathered people how to believe and how to suffer for faith.
The cult of St. Andrew was always very much alive in the Church. The Byzantine liturgy defines St. Andrew by surnamed Protokleros, meaning "first called", because next to St. John was the first called by Christ to be an Apostle. Achaia prides itself that its first metropolitan was St. Andrew. For the Orthodox, St. Andrew is one of the most important saints, they call him the Apostle of the Slavs. According to their tradition, St. Andrew reached the Dnieper and Don and is the founder of Kiev.
Through St. Andrew, we can ask today to follow Jesus with generosity. Let us pray to the Lord Jesus that we like St. Andrew may always valiantly fulfill this vocation to which we are called. Let us also, following the example of St. Andrew, experience Jesus' joy by boldly sharing our testimony of faith with our closest family. We can do it very discreetly, so let the first step be the transformation of our lives and the related fruits of this conversion: peace, helpfulness, forgiveness.
Looking at St. Andrew, we can discover in him a spirit of generosity and enthusiasm. That is why his example is so necessary for us today. He reminds us that the Advent Gospel invites us to the simplicity and beauty of waiting for Him who comes constantly.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george