Saint of the day for November 30: Story of Sant'Andrea

Saint of the day for November 30
(d. 60?)

History of Sant'Andrea

Andrew was the brother of St. Peter and was called with him. “As [Jesus] walked along 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, "Follow me, I will make you fishers of men." Immediately 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 one day, John said, "Look! The Lamb of God." Andrew and another disciple followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw that they were 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 see." So they went and saw where he was, and stayed with him that day ”(John 1: 38-39a).

Little else is said of Andrew in the Gospels. Before the multiplication of the loaves, it was Andrew who spoke of the boy who had the loaves and the barley fish. When the pagans went to see Jesus, they went to Philip, but Philip then turned to Andrew.

Legend has it that Andrew preached the Good News in what are now modern Greece and Turkey and was crucified in Patras on an X-shaped cross.

Reflection

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