November 30 – St Andrew, Apostle (Feastday)

Antiphons at Lauds - Psalms of Sunday of the 1st week

1. One of the two disciples who followed the Lord was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.

2. Andrew was dear to the Lord, like pleasant ointment.

3. We have found the Lord, Andrew told his brother Simon; and he took him to Jesus.

Eph. 2, 19-22

Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. In him all the building fitly framed together grows into a holy temple in the Lord: in him also you, through the Spirit, are built together in a habitation where God dwells.

Brethren, the preaching of the cross is foolishness for those who perish; but to us who are saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness: but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, and things which are not, has God chosen, indeed, to bring to nought things that are. That no flesh should glory in his presence. Of him you are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, so that as it is written: "Whosoever boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

Now when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with any brilliance of oratory or wise argument to announce to you the mystery of God. I was resolved that the only knowledge I would have while I was with you was knowledge of Jesus, and of him as the crucified Christ. I came among you in weakness, in fear and great trembling and what I spoke and proclaimed was not meant to convince by philosophical argument, but to demonstrate the convincing power of the Spirit, so that your faith should depend not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

It was St John the Baptist who, whilst fulfilling his mission of preparing the way for the coming of the Lord, pointed out the Messiah to his disciple Andrew, who immediately went to Jesus and became one of His followers.

Andrew was both an apostle and a martyr. When he was called, he immediately he immediately left his nets to become a fisher of men. After the coming of the Holy Spirit, he preached in Palestine and then in Scythia, Epirus and Thrace.

Before long, he became the apostle of the cross having followed Christ even to the cross. The priests of Achaia describe his martyrdom at Patras. He died on that special form of cross which has ever since been called after him. His body was first taken to Constantinople but was later moved to the Cathedral at Amalfi in the kingdom of Naples. In 1462 his head was placed in the basilica of St Peter, his brother. His feast has been kept since the 4^th century on the 30^th November.

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