His Word Today: Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew, by Artus Wolffort

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Andrew, the apostle.  According to Christian tradition, he was born in 6 BC in Galilee, in the village of Bethsaida, located on the Sea of Galilee.  The New Testament explains that he was the brother of Simon Peter.  Both he and Simon were fishermen and it was on the seashore that Jesus called them: come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men (Mt 4:19).

After the death of Jesus, Andrew travelled through the region of Scythia, along the Black Sea and as far as Kiev.  He is revered as the patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia.  Tradition teaches that he established the See of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and Istanbul) in 38 AD.

Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred by crucifixion in Achaea (Greece).  Early texts report that he was bound, not nailed, to a Latin cross of the kind on which Jesus is said to have been crucified; yet a tradition developed that Andrew had been crucified on a cross of the form called crux decussata (X-shaped cross), now commonly known as a Saint Andrew's Cross — supposedly at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus had been.

Whereas the successor of Saint Peter is referred to as the Bishop of Rome, in the Orthodox Tradition, Saint Andrew is referred to as the First-Called.  In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the successor of Saint Andrew is referred to as the Patriarch of Constantinople.  The current Patriarch (since 2 November 1991) is Bartholomew I.

Have a great day.