Today is the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, Apostle, Martyr.

The Collect Prayer from The Traditional Mass:

"We humbly entreat Thy Majesty, O Lord:

that as the blessed Apostle Andrew was once a teacher and ruler of Thy Church:

so he may be a constant advocate for us before Thee."

[Fr B]

Andrew was St. Peter’s brother, and was called with him. "As [Jesus] was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is now called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him" (Matthew 4:18-20).

John the Evangelist presents Andrew as a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus walked by one day, John said, "Behold, the Lamb of God." Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. "Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day" (John 1:38-39a).

Little else is said about Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the loaves, it was Andrew who spoke up about the boy who had the barley loaves and fishes (see John 6:8-9). When the Gentiles went to see Jesus, they came to Philip, but Philip then had recourse to Andrew (see John 12:20-22).

Legend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what is now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified at Patras.

As in the case of all the apostles except Peter and John, the Gospels give us little about the holiness of Andrew. He was an apostle. That is enough. He was called personally by Jesus to proclaim the Good News, to heal with Jesus' power and to share his life and death. Holiness today is no different. It is a gift that includes a call to be concerned about the Kingdom, an outgoing attitude that wants nothing more than to share the riches of Christ with all people.

“...[T]he Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word’” (Acts 6:2-4).

Patron Saint of:

Fishermen

Greece

Russia

Scotland

Matthew 4:18-22. Jesus calls the first disciples who were fishermen. Andrew was Peter's brother, and brings him to Jesus. Both are called to leave everything, boats and nets, and follow Jesus. James and John are called to leave not only their possessions, but their father as well. Jesus calls us to, as Evagrius said, "renounce all to gain everything." This is not because possessions or family are bad, but because we often use them badly. We must renounce all before Jesus can give everything back to us when we can use them rightly.

Are we willing to renounce all to gain everything today?

St. Andrew Christmas "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 prayers and grant my desires, through the merits of our Savior Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother. Amen."

Pray 15 times a day from St. Andrew's Day (30 November) until Christmas