November 30 + Saint Andrew the Apostle

Andrew was a fisherman much like his younger brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Andrew's very name means "strong" and he was known for having very good social skills.

In the Gospel of Matthew, it is written that Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and saw Andrew and Simon Peter fishing. It is then He asked the two to become disciples and "fishers of men.” Andrew was present at the Last Supper and was one of the four disciples who came to Jesus on the Mount of Olives to ask about the signs of Jesus' return at the "end of the age." He was one of Jesus' closest friends.

Tradition holds that Andrew spread Christianity in Russia and Asia minor after Pentecost in the first century. He was crucified by the Romans in Greece on an X-shaped cross, which is now his distinctive symbol as well as the symbol of Scotland. He is the Patron Saint of fishermen, singers and several countries and cities including Scotland, Romania, Russia, and the Ukraine.

Some of Saint Andrew's remains were brought to Scotland in the fourth century, though parts of his skeleton lie in the crypt of the Cathedral in Amalfi, Italy, where they are removed twice a year and produce a clear, water like substance. The substance, called “manna,” is said to have miraculous attributes.