St. Andrew

One

The Most Important Question 

St. Andrew, the Apostle, the brother of St. Peter, was born in Bethsaida, a small fishing village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He and his brother Peter had a fishing business together in Capernaum, literally just down the road from Bethsaida, where they also lived in the same house. 

Before he met Jesus, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, whose testimony first led him and John the Apostle to follow Jesus (John 1:35-40). 

“As John the Baptist stood there again with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, 'Look, there is the lamb of God'. Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned around, saw them following and said, 'What do you want?' They answered, 'Rabbi,' - which means Teacher -'where do you live?' 'Come and see' he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about 4 O’ Clock in the afternoon. One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.”

Jesus asked Andrew the most important question, “What do you want? What do you want most?” 

Think honestly, what do I want more than anything else?

Two

They Dropped their Nets 

It was Andrew who introduced Peter to Jesus. 

“As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew; they were making a cast in the lake with their net, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And they left their nets at once and followed him. Going on from there he saw another pair of brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. At once, leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.” Matthew 4:19-20; 

“They left their nets at once…” Isn’t that fascinating? Nets are things to entangle prey. The devil uses many nets to entangle us and keep us from friendship with Jesus through prayer. The number one thing the devil wants to keep you from is prayer!

What net, what thing in your life does the devil use to entangle you and prevent you from spending more time in silence and solitude in a deep friendship with Jesus in prayer? What net do you need to drop to be with Jesus more? 

Three

Missionary Activity 

In the year 42, about nine years after the Resurrection of Jesus, Herod unleashed a violent attack on the Christians, and the Apostles were sent out on mission. According to Eusebius, the ancient Church historian, Thomas was sent to Iran and then to India, John went to Turkey, and Andrew set off for Scythia which is the region of Ukraine and Southern Russia on the North shore of the Black Sea. 

Imagine that! Andrew brought Christianity to the region of Ukraine and Russia between 50 and 60 AD.

A significant tradition holds that St. Andrew traveled up the Dnieper River and reached the area where Kyiv now stands. It is written that he erected a cross on the hills of Kyiv and prophesied the future foundation of a great Christian city at that site. Due to these missionary endeavors, St. Andrew is regarded as the patron saint of both countries, symbolizing the apostolic roots of their Christian heritage.

St. Andrew pray for peace between these ancient Christian countries!

Four

Martyrdom 

Eventually, Andrew went southwest to Greece where it was written that Andrew survived being thrown to lions in Philippi when the beasts refused to harm him. Then his missionary work led him to Patras.  

It seemed the wife of the governor of Patras was deathly ill. Pronounced incurable by her doctors, and aware of Andrew’s reputation as a healer, she sent for him, was healed immediately, and became a Christian along with the governor’s brother. The Governor, Aegeates, wanted no part of the new religion and considered the conversion of his wife an alienation of affection. In the year 69, he arrested Andrew and imprisoned him. Andrew’s jailers had to be changed constantly since they were converted almost as soon as they were assigned to the holy man. 

Finally, on November 28, 69 A.D., Aegeates gave orders that Andrew be crucified. Despite the protests of his wife and brother, Aegeates had Andrew hauled to the seashore and tied to a cross. He gave instructions that the condemned man not be nailed so that Andrew could die a slow, lingering death of exposure and exhaustion. The governor even expressed the hope that Andrew would be gradually torn apart by the wild dogs that foraged about the seashore. The dogs, however, never had a chance, because the news of Andrew’s crucifixion attracted a huge crowd that surrounded the cross day and night.

Despite his torments, the aging apostle, who was then at least in his early sixties, managed to summon the strength to talk about the things of God. An ancient tradition maintained that more than two thousand people were converted by Andrew while he hung on the cross on the shores of the Gulf of Patras. 

Meanwhile, there was turmoil at the gubernatorial mansion. A huge crowd gathered around the house and demanded that Aegeates free this man who was innocent of any capital offense. Finally, the governor agreed to speak to Andrew and offer him release if he renounced his faith in Christ. “Let no one release me,” Andrew said. “For there has been allotted me this destiny, to depart out of the body and live with the Lord, with whom I am even being crucified.” Exhausted, Andrew said, “Jesus Christ, whom I have seen, whom I have, whom I love, in whom I am and will be, receive me in peace into Your eternal Kingdom, that through my exodus the many who are akin in nature to me may enter there and rest in Your peace.” 

He died on November 30th.

Five

We have been sent out into the world to proclaim the Good News.

Think about it. Thousands of people came to hear the Good News of Jesus from Andrew as he hung upon the cross. The culture they lived in left them so empty and desperately hungry for the truth and salvation of God that they came to Andrew. So he, “managed to summon the strength to talk about the things of God and they were converted.”

We have become so intimidated by the culture that tells us to keep quiet about Jesus and we have experienced so much rejection from family and friends when we try to share our faith with them, which has caused us to be timid, gun-shy, and afraid to share the Gospel. 

Our culture offers every worldly thing imaginable but it cannot offer the One Thing everyone needs, and that is Jesus. But you have Jesus, you have a friendship with Him and you have a relationship with the people in your lives. You are perfectly situated to share Jesus with them. 

We need to summon the strength like Andrew. “Jesus, give us the opportunity and the wisdom and strength to speak to others about you like Andrew.” 

Then watch closely, God will make an opportunity to tell someone you will pray for the problem they have shared with you, or offer them a miraculous medal, or share the Rosary podcast with them, or invite them to pray the Rosary with you. 

Let’s make the resolution to pray for opportunities to help our family and loved ones take a step toward God and to summon the strength when the opportunity is there.