Saint Andrew the Apostle

Saint Andrew is a brother of Peter. He is usually mentioned in relation to him, but is often overshadowed by him. Nevertheless, of the two, it is Andrew who is called first while Peter’s call comes through Andrew.

In his Gospel, John tells us: The next day, John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God.”  The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?”  They said to him, “Where are you staying?”  He said to them, “Come and you will see.”  Therefore, they went and saw where he was staying.

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah.”  Then he brought him to Jesus.

The verses that follow tell of an ongoing movement of calls as each person called is so impressed by Jesus that he reaches out to another and calls him.  Therefore, we see how Jesus often calls on us in our turn, to call others to follow Him. 

Friendship with Jesus is never just for me. I am always urged to reach out and bring Him to others or bring others to Him.  

At least early in Jesus’ public life, the home of Peter and Andrew seems to function as a center for much of Jesus’ public activity.  However, in these early accounts, Andrew is a rather shadowy figure in relation to Peter. 

In the accounts of the cure of Peter’s mother-in-law, the call of the Twelve Apostles and the disciples asking for signs of the End Times, both Peter and Andrew are mentioned.  But Peter is always named first while Andrew is named sometimes next to Peter, sometimes much further down the listing of followers of Jesus. 

In addition, early in the public life of Jesus, we sometimes see people being brought to Jesus by “the four.”  These four are Peter, Andrew, James and John.  This is found in the account of the calling of the first disciples described in Mark and in the account of the cure of Peter’s mother-in-law. 

Mark tells us of Jesus’ going very early to pray in a deserted place. His early followers “Simon and those who were with him,” went in search of Him, and when they found Him, they told Him, “Everyone is looking for you,” in answer to which, Jesus said, “Let us go into the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.”

In these accounts, it is assumed that “those who were with him” are Andrew, James and John since the accounts come in the same context in which these four are actually named in similar stories. 

Are Andrew, James and John, then, less important than Peter?  Perhaps from a human standpoint they are, but not from the standpoint of their personal vocations.  Jesus calls each of us to a specific ministry, the importance of which is not determined by its publicity. 

After the death of Jesus, it is believed that Andrew went to the foothills of the Caucasian mountains in present-day Russia, to present-day Istanbul in Turkey (Byzantium in Andrew’s time), and through the Corinthian Gulf to Patros, Greece, where he was martyred.

In the church of Saint Andrew in Patros, there is a Greek book which tells us about his martyrdom in the following words:  Algeatis who was the governor of Patros ordered Andrew to come before the tribunal in his attempt to do away with the Christian faith.  When Andrew resisted the tribunal, the governor ordered him crucified.  Andrew remained tied to the cross with thick tight ropes for three days.  His last words were, “Accept me, O Christ Jesus, whom I saw, whom I love, and in whom I am; accept my spirit in peace in your eternal realm.” 

Another ancient writer tells us that Andrew remained on the cross for three full days before the governor, at the request of the people, ordered him taken down.  At that point, he was dead. 

The feast of Saint Andrew is celebrated on Nov. 30, the day on which it is believed that he died.