30 November, Saturday, 34th Week in Ordinary Time

Readings — Rom. 10:9-18; Ps. 19:8, 9, 10, 11; Mt. 4:18-22.

Some Notes on St. Andrew the Apostle —

1. St. Andrew was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus and the brother of St. Peter. In the Synoptic Gospels (Mt, Mk, and Lk), Peter and Andrew were called from their fishing by Jesus to follow him, promising that he would make them “fishers of men.” With Saints Peter, James, and John, Andrew asked Jesus on the Mount of Olives for signs of the end of the world. The question inspired the eschatological discourse in Mark 13. In the Gospel according to John, Andrew is the 1st Apostle named, and he was a disciple of St. John the Baptist before Jesus’ call. Thus, his Greek title, “Protokletos,” First-Called, is based on John’s Gospel. It was he who, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, introduced Simon Peter to him.

2. St. Andrew was born between 5-10 AD in Bethsaida, in Galilee. He and his brother, Simon Peter, were sons uof Jonah. His name is not Hebrew, but Greek. In Galilee, the Greek language and culture was quite present. Mt. 4:18-22 and Mk. 1:16-20, say that Andrew and Simon Peter were called by Jesus after the miraculous catch of fish in the Sea of Galilee. But Jn. 1:40-42 has a different version. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, whose testimony about the Lamb of God, first led him and an unnamed disciple of St. John the Baptist to follow Jesus. According to the Gospel of Mark 1:29, he and Peter lived in the same house in Capernaum where Jesus cured Peter’s mother in law. Andrew was the one who told Jesus about the boy with the loaves and fishes. And when certain Greeks wanted to see Jesus, Philip referred the matter to Andrew.

3. What we know about St. Andrew after the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost comes from legends and apocryphal writings, including the Acts of Andrew, Acts of Andrew and Matthias, and Acts of Peter and Andrew. But there are historical writings about him. Eusebius, the 4th century historian, quoted Origen as saying that Andrew preached in Scythia. Another tradition says that he also preached along the Black Sea and the Driepet River all the way to Kyiv, and from there to Novgorod. Hence, he became the Patron Saint of Ukraine, Romania, and Russia. Hippolytus of Rome said that Andrew also preached in Thrace. The apocryphal Acts of Andrew reports on his missionary activities in Byzantium. Tradition says that he founded the See of Byzantium (later Constantinople) in 38 AD. This became the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 451 AD. Andrew along with St. Starchys, whom Andrew had installed as the 1st Bishop of Byzantium, is recognized as the Patron Saint of the Patriarchate.

4. A 4th century account reports his death in Patras (modern day Patrai) in Achaea, in 60 AD, by crucifixion. The cross was a “crux decussata,” an X-shaped cross, as Andrew felt unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as that of Jesus. Andrew is iconographically represented with an X-shaped cross, now known as St. Andrew’s Cross. St. Jerome records that St. Andrew’s relics were taken from Patras to Constantinople (modern Istanbul) by order of Emperor Constantine II in 357. From there, in 1208, the body was taken to Amalfi, Italy (Church of Sant’Andrea). In the 15th century, the head was taken to St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. In September 1964, Pope Paul VI returned St. Andrew’s head to Patrai as a gesture of good will toward the separated Christians of Greece. Other relics are found in various places.

5. 1st Reading, Rom. 10:8-18 — The Relationship between Proclamation and Faith.

Paul has proclaimed that Christ is the Savior and Lord, such that “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (vv. 1-8). “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (v. 9; also v. 10). This is a message to all, Jew or Greek: “the Lord is the Lord of all” (vv. 11-12). “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v. 13).

6. But God’s word has to be proclaimed by preachers so that people can hear the word and so believe and be saved. Hence, “how beautiful [praiseworthy] are the feet of those who bring the good news!” (vv. 14-15). Sadly, not everyone has believed the good news. “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ” (v. 17).

7. Resp. Ps. 19:8, 9, 10, 11 — The Beauty of God’s Law. “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” It is trustworthy and gives wisdom (v. 8). The precepts of the Lord are right, clear, and enlightening (v. 9). They are true and just. They are more desirable than a hoard of purest gold (vv. 10-11).

8. Gospel, Mt. 4:18-22 — The Call of the First Disciples. Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee. He sees two brothers, Simon, named Peter, and Andrew, casting a net. He says to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately leave their nets and follow Jesus (vv. 18-20). He walks a bit farther, and sees two other brothers, James and his younger brother, John. They are on a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. He calls them. They immediately leave their father and their boat and follow him (vv. 21-22). The cost of discipleship is high. It requires subordinating love of family and profession to love of Jesus. As the first disciples will learn, to follow Jesus is to take up one’s cross, not metaphorically but really.

9. The Readings of today relate to the life, work, and death of St. Andrew. He was called by the Lord to follow him and left eveything behind, his profession and his family, in order to proclaim the Good News and bring people to the Lord (Gospel and 1st Reading). This good news of salvation in God’s Kingdom is beyond worth (Resp. Psalm).

10. Prayer— Almighty and ever-living God, you gave the blessed Apostle Andrew to us as our pastor and preacher. Grant that, through his intercession, we may be firm in our faith and zealous in proclaiming it to others by the witness of our lives. This we pray in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

Prayers, best wishes, God bless!