Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew, also known as Saint Andrew the Apostle, is the older brother of Saint Peter and one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.  He was born in the early 1st century in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee.  He and his brother were both fishermen by trade.  It is thus symbolic and meaningful when Jesus called them to discipleship- to be “fishers of men.”  In the Gospel of Matthew and in the Gospel of Mark, it is told that as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw the brothers fishing there and it was then that He called them to follow Him.  In one chapter of the Gospel of Luke, there is a narrative about Jesus preaching to the multitude while riding on a boat believed to be Simon Peter’s.  It is in the following chapter that Saint Andrew’s name was mentioned, indicating that he was fishing that night with his brother.  There are only a few other subsequent mentions of him like in the Gospel of John but it can be understood that he was one of the closer apostles to Jesus, being present in some important events like the Last Supper.

Tradition states that Saint Andrew went on to the area of Black Sea and in what is now known as Greece and Turkey to preach the Word of God.  He died as a martyr by crucifixion in the city of Patras.  He was described as being bound to the cross, not nailed, and crucified in X-shaped form called “crux decussata” or “saltire,” being referred to now as “Saint Andrew’s Cross.”  It is believed that he asked to be crucified in such form as he deemed himself not worthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.  He is the patron saint of quite a number of countries such as Scotland, Ukraine and Greece.

Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew, pray for us!

The Best Catholic

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