The last day of November is the memorial feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. He is the blood brother of St. Peter (Simon), to whom Jesus gave the keys (Matthew 16:19) and called to shepherd his sheep (John 21:15-17), thus, made into the first Pope. Together with his brother, Peter, and fellow fishermen, James and John, Andrew is one of the very first batch of Jesus’ disciples, made into the Apostles upon Jesus’ Ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
The Gospel
Reading for the feast of St. Andrew (Matthew 4:18-22) tells that Andrew,
together with his brother, Peter, was recruited by Jesus by the Sea of Galilee
to be trained to become fishers of men. And the First Reading (Romans 10:9-18)
reminds of us the significance of the pastoral works of fishers of men, according
to another Apostle, St. Paul.
Though nothing
written specifically of St. Andrew’s apostolic work in the Acts of the Apostles
and other canonical scriptural books, it is believed that Andrew went all the
way to Russia through Greece and Ukraine. Though some Orthodox Christians
believe that the Church in Constantinople was founded by St. Andrew, there is
no supporting evidence of this claim. Nevertheless, it is possible that St.
Andrew sowed seeds for churches not in Constantinople but in many other places
where various Orthodox churches are today.
In the
First Reading (Romans 10:9-18), we read Paul citing from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful are the feet of those who
bring the good news” (Romans 10:15). And we see St. Andrew in this as he is
believed to have brought the good news of Christ, passing on the Apostolic
faith in Christ to people where Orthodox churches are, while his brother, St.
Peter did through the Palestine-Syria area, and St. Paul did in the Greco-Roman
world. And, both Peter and Paul shed blood to lay the foundation for the Church
in Rome. In fact, Andrew also shed his blood, crucified to an x-shaped cross.
For this, what is known as St. Andrew’s Cross, especially among the Orthodox,
is x-shaped.
According to John’s Gospel, Andrew and John were disciples of John the Baptist (John 1:35-42). When Jesus was walking by, a day after his baptism, John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God for the second time, saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36), and Andrew and John, who were with John the Baptist as his disciples, began to follow Jesus (John 2:25-39). And to his brother, Simon, who was later called Peter, Andrew said, “We have found the Messiah” (John 2:41), and brought him to Jesus (John 2:42). John’s Gospel tells that Andrew introduced his brother, Peter, to Christ (Messiah), who called him Cephas, which means Peter (John 1:42). So, we can imagine, Andrew introducing people to Christ in his teachings throughout his apostolic mission all the way to Russia, with the same excitement that he shared with his brother, Peter, in saying, “We have found the Messiah!” to catch more and more people for the salvation of their souls, as a fisher of men for Christ.
St. Andrew the Apostle was one of the first-called by Jesus to follow and made into a fisher of men, together with his brother, St. Peter. He learned from Jesus and "caught" many men and women to the Christ's net of salvation", using a bait of the Word, with his enthusiasm of discovering the Messiah, saying, "
By virtue
of the Sacrament of Baptism, we are called by Jesus to follow him and to be
made as fishers of people (i.e. Matthew 4:19) in all nations (i.e. Matthew
28:19) so that the faithful from all the ends of the earth will see the power
of God (Psalm 22:28) and gather to meet Christ the Lord in his house (i.e.
Isaiah 2:2-3; cf. Revelation 7:8-17; 19:6-9) as one communion with him (i.e.
John 17:21-23). And St. Andrew the Apostle, brother of St. Peter the Apostle,
and fellow fisherman of Galilee to St. James the Greater and his brother, St.
John the Apostle and the Evangelist, inspires us to follow and serve Christ as
he did.
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