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THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW Among the apostles is the first we meet in the Gospels: the fisherman Andrew, born in Bethsaida of Galilee, Simon Peter's brother. The Gospel of John (chapter 1) shows him with a friend while attending the preaching of John the Baptist, who, seeing through Jesus baptized by him the day before, exclaims: "Behold the Lamb of God." Words that immediately push Andrea and her friend to Jesus, Him, talk to him and then runs to tell Andrea's brother: "We have found the Messiah". Shortly after, well here in front of Simon to Jesus that "he looked at him, said:" You are Simon son of John: You shall be called Cephas ". This is the presentation. Then comes the call. The two brothers returned to their work of fishermen on the "Sea of Galilee," but leave all of a sudden when Jesus comes and says, "Follow me, I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4.18-20). Then we find Andrea in the group - Peter, James and John - who on the Mount of Olives, "aloof", asks Jesus about the signs of recent times: the answer is known as the "eschatological discourse" of the Lord, who teaches us must prepare for the coming of the Son of Man "with great power and glory" (Mark 13). Finally, Andrew's name appears in the first chapter of Acts with those of the other apostles to Jerusalem after the Ascension. And then the Scripture does not say much to him as he talks about it some apocryphal texts, that is not canonical. One of these, the second century, published in 1740 by LA Muratori, Andrea says that encouraged John to write his Gospel. It is a Coptic text contains this blessing of Jesus to Andrew: "You will be a pillar of light in my kingdom in Jerusalem, my favorite city. Amen." The historian Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. 265-340) writes that Andrea preaches the Gospel in Asia Minor and southern Russia. Then Greece in the past, driving the Christians of Patras. And here suffered martyrdom by crucifixion: Rope hanging upside down, according to tradition, a cross in the form of X, then one called "cross of St. Andrew." This happens around the year 60, 30 November. In 357 his remains were brought to Constantinople, but the head, but a fragment remains in Patras. In 1206, during the occupation of Constantinople (Fourth Crusade) the papal legate Cardinal Capuano, Amalfi, transfer those relics in Italy. And in 1208 the Amalfi welcome them solemnly in the crypt of their cathedral. When in 1460 the Turks invaded Greece, the head of the Apostle is brought from Patras to Rome where he will be kept in St. Peter for five centuries. That is until Pope Paul VI in 1964, will return the relic to the church of Patras. |
