St. Andrew was a seeker of truth and a loyal child of God
Reflections on the readings for the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30, 2020): ROM 10:9-18; PS 19:8,910,11; MT 4:18-22
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St. Andrew is the patron of Greece, Russia, Romania, and Scotland, among others.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Andrew who is generally considered the first of the Apostles to be chosen by Christ. He was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, but when John referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God, Andrew followed Him. Andrew is the brother of Simon Peter and they were both fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. Aside from the lists of the Apostles, Andrew is only mentioned a couple of times in the Bible. When the Apostles traveled to different lands to preach after Jesus’ Ascension, Andrew is believed to have gone to Greece and Turkey, and possibly as far as Russia. St. Andrew is the patron of Greece, Russia, Romania, and Scotland, among others. It was in Patras in western Greece that he is thought to have been martyred on a cross in the form of an “X” about 60 A.D.
In the first reading we hear St. Paul remind the early Christians about the importance of those who bring the Good News to God’s people: “But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10:14-15) St. Andrew, like his fellow Apostles, went out to spread the word of God and the gift of salvation to all who would listen. And, like almost all of them, he gave up his life in defense of his faith in Christ. We, too, must be willing to bring the light of the Gospel to others through our daily lives.
