Saint Andrew

Today is the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle who is the brother of Simon Peter. It was Andrew who brought Peter the first Pope of the Church to Jesus. Jesus gave the Aramaic name “Cephas” which means rock and in Greek “Peter”.  Andrew and Peter were the sons of John and fishermen. Jesus calls them saying that he will make them fishers of men and they immediately leave their nets and follow Jesus. Andrew is also the resourceful one who brings the boy with the five small loaves of bread and two small fish to Jesus, which Jesus multiplies to feed five thousand men.
After the resurrection Andrew preached in Greece where he was martyred on a cross in the form of an X. His relics are preserved in the Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Patras in Greece. And the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who is the head of the Greek Orthodox Church traces back his succession to Saint Andrew. It is also believed that Andrew preached in Turkey.
Saint Andrew you preserved in your faith to the point of death, we pray you intercede for us to emulate your courage and zeal for our faith!