06 December 2011

St. Andrew (November 30)

I just finished this post today, but I thought I'd put it up instead of waiting until next year.  How did you celebrate St. Andrew's Day? 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.    Matthew 4:18-20

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. Hefirst found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.                      John 1:40-42 
The Calling of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew, James Tissot c.1889

St. Andrew, A fragment of a Florentine fresco, 14th c.

San Andres. Jose de Ribera. 1616

Crocifissione di S. Andrea. Carlo Dolci.  1646.



Hymn:  LSB 586  (Check out The Hymn of the Day on lcms.org), and of course LSB 517.5

Extra-biblical history from Catholic Encyclopedia:
When the Apostles went forth to preach to the Nations, Andrew seems to have taken an important part, but unfortunately we have no certainty as to the extent or place of his labours. Eusebius (Church History III.1), relying, apparently, upon Origen, assigns Scythia as his mission field: Andras de [eilechen] ten Skythian; while St. Gregory of Nazianzus (Oration 33) mentions Epirus; St. Jerome (Ep. ad Marcell.) Achaia; and Theodoret (on Ps. cxvi) Hellas. Probably these various accounts are correct, for Nicephorus (H.E. II:39), relying upon early writers, states that Andrew preached in Cappadocia, Galatia, and Bithynia, then in the land of the anthropophagi and the Scythian deserts, afterwards in Byzantium itself, where he appointed St. Stachys as its first bishop, and finally in Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, and Achaia. It is generally agreed that he was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's, though the evidence for this view seems to be no older than the fourteenth century. His martyrdom took place during the reign of Nero, on 30 November, A.D. 60); and both the Latin and Greek Churches keep 30 November as his feast.

Activities 

  • Like St. Patrick and St. Joseph, St. Andrew has ethnic associations.  Look at a Scottish flag (or a Union Jack) and find the St. Andrew's cross.  Find other styles of crosses and learn their names and where they originated or are popular.
  • Make shortbread 
  • Prepare fish, in honor of Andrew's first profession
  • Coloring pages: Icon, Calling of Andrew

No comments:

Post a Comment