Brothers and sisters:If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lordand believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.For one believes with the heart and so is justified,and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.The Scripture says,No one who believes in him will be put to shame.There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;the same Lord is Lord of all,enriching all who call upon him.For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?And how can they hear without someone to preach?And how can people preach unless they are sent?As it is written,How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!But not everyone has heeded the good news;for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?Thus faith comes from what is heard,and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.But I ask, did they not hear?Certainly they did; forTheir voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,Simon who is 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.He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
REFLECTION
"Behold, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36).
Who was St. Andrew? He was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, the brother of Simon Peter, the first of the 12 apostles called by Jesus, and one who brings others to Jesus. St. Andrew was a seeker, a faithful follower, friendly, and a disciple willing to listen and serve.
It was while Andrew followed "the Baptist" that he heard him pronounce those prophetic words, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew and another of John's disciples followed Jesus. " Then Jesus, turning around and seeing them following him, said to them, "What are you seeking?' And they said to Him, 'Rabbi, where do you live?' He said, 'Come and see.' (John 1: 38-39). And Andrew and his friend followed Jesus and stayed the day with Him.
Later Andrew meets up with his brother, Simon Peter. He shared his encounter with Jesus by saying to Simon, "We have found the Messiah." (John 1:41). Andrew was born in Bethsaida a village on the Sea of Galilee. Anrew and his brother Peter were fishermen, but Andrew's real passion was seeking the truth, and he found the TRUTH Himself, Jesus.
After the Jesus' death, His resurrection, Ascension and after Andrew received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he went to bring the "Good News" to others. His missionary work took place in Romania, Ukraine, and Russia. He traveled around the shores of the Black Sea into Turkey and Greece. It was in Patras a city in Greece where St. Andrew was martyred for preaching the Gospel. He was crucified on a X-shaped cross known as "crux decussata" or a "saltire." Today it is called "St. Andrew's Cross." Pieces of St. Andrew's cross and relics were in Patras until the emperor Constantine moved them to Constantinople. In the thirteenth century his relics were moved by the Crusades to Italy. Finally, Pope Paul VI returned St. Andrew's skull and cross to the Greek Orthodox Church.
St. Andrew was a beloved preacher. He is the patron saint of fishermen and singers. His voice carried the Truth with him. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
Let us pray that all of the descendants of the apostles are strong and love the Truth enough to spread it like St. Andrew. Join us in praying our PAPA Prayers for Priests.
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