Saint andrew feast day biography sample

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This episode is another Feast Day, but with Saint Andrews!

He is the Patron Saint of many areas, including among others Barbados, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Sicily, Russia, Romania, and Ukraine.

Interestingly, he is also the Patron Saint of the U.S. Army Rangers.

Today we talk about the role he had in Scotland, since their national flag, a city, and a cathedral have strong traces of Saint Andrew.

“According to legend, in the middle of the battle, mac Fergus actually saw a white x-shaped cross in the bright blue sky. And, he knew that Andrew was going to be taking care of him…”

Join me in the mysterious beginnings of Saint Andrew, and find out how he ended up being so well loved around the world.

* For references, please click HERE.

(All photos have been used using the Creative Commons )

Nov 30 – St Andrew (1st century) apostle (1)

Summary : St Andrew, Apostle. Born at Bethsaida (Galilee), A fisherman and a disciple of John the Baptist, introduced his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus and became one of the first twelve to follow Christ. Mentioned a number of times in the gospels, for example, in introducing some Gentiles to Jesus (John 12:20f). 

Andrew, a Galilean fisherman from Bethsaida, was the first disciple to be called by Jesus. He is said to have preached the gospel in Greece and to have been crucified at Patras. He is patron of Scotland, Russia and Greece.

Patrick Duffyoutlines what is known about him.

Disciple of John the Baptist
Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist. He was one of the two standing with John when Jesus passed and John stared hard at him and said, “Look, there is the Lamb of God“. The two disciples followed Jesus, who turned and asked them, “What do you want?” They answered, “Rabbi, Where do you live?”
“Come and see.“ was Jesus’s reply. They went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of the day.

Andrew Brings Simon to Jesus
Early next morning, Andrew met his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah,” and he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked hard at Simon and said, “You are Simon, son of John, you are to be called Cephas”, meaning Rock (Jn 1:35-42). Mark has a slightly different version: both fishermen brothers were casting their net in the lake, when Jesus said,
“Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men. And at once they left their nets and followed him.” (Mk 1:16-18).

Other Mentions in the New Testament
Peter subsequently takes the leadership role, but Andrew is always in the first four in the lists of the names of  the twelve apostles. It is Andrew who points

The acts of this apostle’s martyrdom, though rejected by Tillemont, &c. are maintained to be genuine by Nat. Alexander, Hist. t. 1, and by Mr. Woog, professor of history and antiquities at Leipsic, in learned dissertations published in 1748 and 1751. The authority of this piece being contested, little stress is laid upon it: and the following account is gathered from the sacred writings, and those of the fathers.

A Greek image of Saint Andrew

ST. ANDREW was a native of Bethsaida, a town in Galilee, upon the banks of the lake of Genesareth. He was the son of Jonas or John, a fisherman of that town, and brother to Simon Peter, but whether elder or younger the holy scriptures have not acquainted us. They had afterwards a house at Capharnaum, where Jesus lodged when he preached in that city. It is no small proof of the piety and good inclinations of St. Andrew, that when St. John Baptist began to preach penance in the desert, he was not content with going to hear him as others did, but became his disciple, passed much of his time in hearing his instructions, and studied punctually to practise all his lessons and copy his example; but he often returned home to his fishing trade. He was with his master when St. John Baptist seeing Jesus pass by the day after he had been baptized by him, said: Behold the Lamb of God.

Andrew, by the ardour and purity of his desires, and his fidelity in every religious practice, deserved to be so far enlightened as to comprehend this mysterious saying, and, without delay, he and another disciple of the Baptist went after Jesus, who drew them secretly by the invisible bands of his grace, and saw them with the eyes of his spirit before he beheld them with his corporal eyes. Turning back as he walked, and seeing them follow him, he said: What seek ye? They said, they desired to know where he dwelt: and he bade them come and see. There remained but two hours of that day, which they s

St Andrew was a native of Bethsaida, a town in Galilee, upon the banks of the lake of Genesareth. He was the son of Jonas, or John, a fisherman of that town, and brother to Simon Peter, but whether elder or younger the Holy Scriptures have not acquainted us. They had afterwards a house at Capharnaum, where Jesus lodged when he preached in that city. It is no small proof of the piety and good inclinations of St. Andrew, that when St. John Baptist began to preach penance in the desert, he was not content with going to hear him as others did, but became his disciple, passed much of his time in hearing his instructions, and studied punctually to practice all his lessons and copy his example; but he often returned home to his fishing trade. He was with his master when St. John Baptist, seeing Jesus pass by the day after he had been baptized by him, said, "Behold the Lamb of God." Andrew, by the ardour and purity of his desires and his fidelity in every religious practice, deserved to be so far enlightened as to comprehend this mysterious saying, and without delay he and another disciple of the Baptist went after Jesus, who drew them secretly by the invisible bands of his grace, and saw them with the eyes of his spirit before he beheld them with his corporal eyes. Turning back as he walked and seeing them follow him, he said, "What seek ye?" They said they desired to know where he dwelt; and he bade them come and see. There remained but two hours of that day, which they spent with him, and, according to several fathers, the whole night following. "O how happy a day, how happy a night did they pass I " cries out St. Austin. "Who will tell us what things they then learned from the mouth of their Saviour!"

Andrew, who loved affectionately his brother Simon, called afterwards Peter, could not rest till he had imparted to him the infinite treasure which he had discovered, and brought him to Christ that he might also know him. Simon was no sooner com