Getting to Know the Saints: St. Andrew

St. Andrew was just a fisherman, but a great example for evangelists. What makes Andrew so special?

The First Apostle

St. Andrew worked as a fisherman with his brother, St. Peter. In the Gospel of John, Jesus called Andrew to follow Him and Andrew immediately ran to tell his brother that they had found the Messiah, but the best part about this account is that Andrew didn’t just tell Peter, he brought him with him to actually see, meet, and follow Jesus (that’s a good brother!). Both became apostles and he is mentioned several times in the Gospels.

According to tradition, Andrew traveled and ministered in Greece and Turkey, and he was martyred on an X cross because he didn’t feel worthy to be crucified in the same way Christ was (serious humility, right there). Many call that cross “St. Andrew’s Cross” now and it appears on Scotland’s flag. He is the patron of fishermen and singers, and also of Scotland, Russia, Romania, and Ukraine. However, his relics are scattered all over. His feast day is November 30,

The St. Andrew Novena

Many pray the St. Andrew Novena, also called the Christmas novena,from his feast on November 30 until Christmas. This prayer is prayed 15 times a day (that is an intense novena!):

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires (mention your intentions here), through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Read a bit more about St. Andrew here.

Why an X Cross?

Andrew was the brother of St. Peter, a fisherman, and an apostle of Jesus. According to tradition, Andrew sailed throughout Greece and Turkey spreading the Gospel. It is said that he was crucified on an X cross, called a “crux decussata”, which he requested because he felt unworthy to be crucified the same way as Christ. This is commonly known now as “St. Andrew’s Cross”.

Who would be friends with St. Andrew?

• Fishermen
• Evangelists
• Singers
• Scottish people
• Greeks
• Ministry families
• Turkish people (he is the patron of a lot of countries!)

Grab a St. Andrew’s medal to help remind you to pray the Christmas novena throughout Advent this year here.