My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
On the 30th of November, the Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the Feast-Day of the Holy, Glorious and All-Famed Apostle
ANDREW THE FIRST CALLED.
Apolytikion (Dismissal) hymn of Saint Andrew. Fourth Tone
AS the First-Called of the Apostles, and brother of their leader, O
Andrew, entreat the Master of all that peace be granted unto the
world and great mercy to our souls.
Kontakion hymn. Second Tone
LET us acclaim the namesake of courage, ,that herald of things divine,
the First-Called of the Saviour’s Disciples, and the kinsman of Peter;
for as he formerly cried out to him, so doth he now to us: Come, we
have found the Desired One.
SAINT ANDREW, the First-Called Apostle of Christ, was a native of the city of Bethsaida, the son of a Hebrew named Jonah and brother of the holy chief of the Apostles Peter. Disdaining the vanity of this world and preferring virginity to wedlock, he did not wish to marry, and having heard that the holy Forerunner and Baptist John was preaching repentance by the Jordan, he forsook all things and became his disciple. When his teacher pointed to Jesus as He passed by, saying, "BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD," (John, ch. 1) Andrew and another disciple, whom many believe to have been the Evangelist John (who wrote these things in his Gospel), left the Baptist and followed Christ. Andrew knew from the books of the Prophets that Jesus was truly the long-awaited Messiah, so he hurried to find his brother Simon Peter, to whom he declared, "WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS, WHICH IS, BEING INTERPRETED, THE CHRIST!" He then led Peter to Jesus. Afterwards, while he was fishing with Peter off the shore of the Sea of Galilee and Jesus called to them, saying, , "FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN" (Matthew, ch. 4) Andrew dropped his nets and without delay obeyed the Lord’s summons, following Christ together with his brother Peter. Thus Andrew is known as the First-Called because he became a follower of Jesus Christ before any of the other Apostles.
After the Lord’s voluntary Passion and Resurrection, Saint Andrew, like the other Apostles, received the Holy Spirit, Who descended on him in the form of a tongue of fire. When the Apostles divided the countries of the earth among themselves, it fell to Andrew to spread the Gospel in the lands of Bithynia and the Propontis, in Chalcedon, Byzantium, Thrace, Macedonia, and as far as the Black Sea and the Danube, as well as in Thessaly, Hellas (Greece), Achaia, Amisus, Trebizond, Heraclea, and Amastris. Saint Andrew did not merely pass through these lands and cities, he underwent numerous afflictions in every place where he preached Christ. Strengthened by the Lord’s All-powerful succor; he gladly endured every misfortune.
Especially great sufferings befell Andrew in the city of Sinope. There the people cast him to the ground, bound him hand and foot, and dragged him about, beating him with switches and stoning him all the while. Although they severed his fingers and shattered his teeth, he was made completely whole by the grace of his Savior and Teacher. After leaving that city, Andrew continued on his way to Neo-caesarea, Samosata, and the countries of the Alans, Abchasians, Zychians, and Bosporians. From there he sailed to Byzantium, where he was the first to preach Christ. He instructed many in the faith there, ordained Presbyters, and consecrated as bishop Stachys, whom Saint Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Romans.
Then, returning to the Apostolic labor of spreading the Gospel of Christ, Andrew passed through Pontus, the lands bordering the Black Sea, Scythia, and the Chersonese. By God’s Providence he reached the river Dnieper in the land of Russia, and halting beneath the hills of Kiev, said to those with him, "DO YOU SEE THESE HILLS? BELIEVE ME: ON THEM THE GRACE OF GOD WILL SHINE, AND A MIGHTY CITY WILL RISE. GOD WILL CAUSE MANY CHURCHES TO BE BUILT HERE AND WILL ENLIGHTEN THE FUTURE LAND OF RUSSIA WITH HOLY BAPTISM." As he climbed the hills, the Saint blessed them, and he set up a cross, prophesying that the people who dwelt there would receive the faith from the Apostolic See which he had established in Byzantium.
After passing through towns in the north, in the region where Novgorod the Great now stands, Andrew continued on to Rome and Epirus. Then he returned to Thrace where he confirmed the Christians in the faith, appointing bishops and teachers for them. Having traveled through many other lands, he reached the Peloponnesus, and entered Patras, a city of Achaia, lodged with an honorable man named Sosius, whom he raised up from his bed of sickness. As a result of this miracle, Andrew succeeded in converting the entire city of Patras to Chist in a short time. The holy Apostle also restored the health of Maximillia, wife of the Proconsul Aegeates. After her healing, she also came to believe in Christ. Likewise, the wise Stratocles, the Proconsul’s brother, and many others were healed when the Apostle laid his hands on them. Because of this, Aegeates became very angry, seized the holy Apostle, and commanded that he be crucified. Concerning these things the Presbyters and Deacons of the land of Achaia wrote the following:
"We, the Presbyters and Deacons of the Church of Achaia, write to all churches of the East, West, South and North to tell the Passion of the holy Apostle Andrew, which we beheld with our own eyes. Peace be unto you and to all who believe in the one God, perfect in Trinity: the true, unbegotten Father; the true begotten Son; and the true Holy Spirit, Who PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER AND RESTS IN THE SON! This is the faith we were taught by the holy Andrew, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, whose suffering we beheld and wish to relate, as much as we are able.
"The Proconsul Aegeates was on his way to the city of Patras, intending to compel those who believed in Christ to sacrifice to idols. Before reaching the city, however, he was met by Saint Andrew, who said to him, ‘It would behoove you, a judge of men, to come to know Him Who is your Judge and dwells in heaven. Acknowledge the true God and worship Him, turning away form the false divinities you now adore!’
"Aegeates answered, ‘Are you Andrew, who razes the temples of the gods and teaches the people the sorcerous faith which has recently appeared and which the Emperors of Rome have ordered destroyed?’ The Emperors of Rome , said Andrew, do not understand what was clearly demonstrated by the Son of God, Who came to the earth to save mankind: that the idols are not gods but the abodes of unclean demons, enemies of the race of man, which teach men to anger God and cause Him to turn away from them. When God turns from men in anger, the demons lead them astray and enslave them. Finally, their souls issue forth naked from their bodies, possessed of nothing but their own sins.’
"The Jews nailed your Jesus to the Cross because He was a preacher of fables,’ scoffed Aegeates. Andrew replied, ‘O, if only you could understand the Mystery of the Cross and comprehend that it was out of love for us that the Creator of the human race endured voluntary crucifixion! He knew beforehand when He would suffer and prophesied that He would rise on the third day. At His last supper with us, He announced His betrayal, plainly foretold what would befall Him, and went unconstrained to the place where He was delivered into the hands of the Jews.’
"…Speak of these things to those who wish to hear you!’ Aegeates said when Andrew had concluded. ‘But if you do not sacrifice to the gods, I will have you beaten with staves and then crucified upon the cross which you so glorify.’ …the next morning, the Proconsul Aegeates sat on his judgment seat and ordered that Saint Andrew be brought before him. He said to the Apostle, ‘Do you agree to cease your foolish preaching of Christ, that you may enjoy the present life with us? It is utter insanity to surrender yourself to torture and fire voluntarily.’
"Answered the Saint, ‘I would much prefer to see you believe in Christ, and reject the idols. This would bring me true joy! It was Christ that sent me to this land, and I have gained many people for Him herre.’ ‘I will force you to sacrifice,’ vowed Aegeates, ‘so the people whom you have deceived will abandon your vasin teaching and offer oblations to the gods… ‘To this Saint Andrew replied…It was my hope that you would prove to be a reasonable man, recognize the truth, renounce the idols, and worship God, Who dwells in the heavens; but since your remain obstinate and imagine that I fear your tortures, I invite you to devise for me the most terrible torments of which you are capable. The more grievous the tortures I endure, the more I will please my King.’
‘Aegeates then commanded that the Saint be stretched out and beaten. Andrew’s floggers were divided into groups of three, each of which thrashed him seven times. After this the Saint was returned to the judge, who urged him, ‘Hearken unto me, Andrew, and do not let your blood be shed uselessly! If you refuse to obey me, I will have you crucified.’ Saint Andrew answered, ‘I am the slave of the Cross of Jesus Christ. I do not fear death by crucifixion, but desire it! Yet, even after you have tried my endurance, you can escape eternal torment by believing in Christ. I grieve more over your perdition than over my sufferings, for my tribulations will end in a day, or two days at most, but your tribulations will not cease even after a thousand years. Therefore, do not kindle for yourself everlasting fire or add to the torments that await you.’
(to be continued)
_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
-Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 