This Saturday, Nov. 30, is the Feast of St. Andrew. Andrew was the brother of St. Simon Peter, and a disciple of John the Baptist. We first encounter Andrew by the Jordan River, on the day after Jesus was baptized. Andrew is talking with John and another disciple, when Jesus walks by. John says to the pair, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” As they should have, they immediately left John and began to follow Jesus down the road. He turned and asked them, “What do you want?” and they replied, “Where do you live?” He said, “Come and see.”

They followed Him to where He dwelt and spent the day with Him. When they left, Andrew went to the home of his brother Simon and proclaimed, “We have found the Messiah,” making him the first evangelist to share the Good News with another. Andrew, like his brother, was a fisherman, and they were probably partners in business.
   
We are told of instances in the Gospel where Andrew was present, but we don’t hear much about him otherwise. After Jesus ascended to the Father, Andew travelled to the East, to Kyiv, to preach the Gospel. As such, he is recognized as one of the patron saints of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. He eventually travelled to Byzantium (modern day Istanbul) and established the Church there.
   
Andrew was martyred by being crucified. The cross on which he was crucified was in the form of an "X," rather than the "T" of Jesus’ cross. Whenever you see someone crucified on an X cross, or holding an X cross, it is Andrew. The form of cross itself is called an Andrew Cross.