November 30 is St. Andrew's Day. Who was Saint Andrew and why is he the patron saint of Scotland? That is the story…
Patron Saints
Within the Catholic and Orthodox custom, a patron saint is a canonized historic saint who is meant to be a guiding and protecting power for individuals of a sure career or area. After the Reformation, the thought of patron saints was dropped by Protestants. Nevertheless, the thought of nationwide patron saints stays in Britain and Eire, however for patriotic and historic causes reasonably than spiritual causes. Saint David is the patron saint of Wales, Saint Patrick of Eire, Saint George of England and Saint Andrew of Scotland.
Apostle Andrew
Saint Andrew is talked about in all 4 Gospels and in Acts. Andrew was first a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:40), and when he acknowledged Jesus because the Messiah, he shortly discovered his brother Simon (later referred to as Peter) to inform him (John 1:41).
Andrew and Peter have been fishermen by the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18, Mark 1:16) and have been sons of John (John 1:42) and initially got here from Bethsaida (John 1:44). It isn’t identified for sure whether or not Andrew was an older brother or a youthful brother, however on the whole, individuals historically thought of Andrew to be the older brother.
On the time of the Gospels, Andrew and Peter lived in Capernaum, the place Andrew lived along with his brother Peter and Peter's spouse and mother-in-law (Matthew 8:13, Mark 1:29). Andrew can also have been married, however there isn’t any direct point out of his spouse. It appears that evidently Jesus usually stayed there with them. Andrew and Peter have been among the many disciples who grew to become apostles (Matthew 10:2, Mark 1:18, Luke 6:14).
Andrew is particularly named in three tales. After Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple (Mark 13:1-2), it was Andrew, Peter, and John who requested Jesus in regards to the signal of the tip instances (Mark 13:3). Within the well-known story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, it was Andrew who introduced Jesus to the boy with 5 barley loaves and two fish (John 6:8). After Jesus entered Jerusalem (which is commemorated on Palm Sunday), some Greeks have been worshiping in Jerusalem with the Jews they usually approached Philip and requested to see Jesus. Philip went and instructed Andrew, who then instructed Jesus. (John 12:20-22). Andrew is on the Final Supper and Pentecost (Acts 1:13) after which disappears from the narrative. In such circumstances, early church historical past and custom fills the hole.
Black Sea Missions
Saint Andrew is believed to have been shipwrecked in Cyprus, probably on his option to Byzantium (later Constantinople and now Istanbul), the place he’s mentioned to have based the bishopric that later grew to become the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Based on the early church historians Origen (185–253) and Eusebius (260–265), Andrew went to take the gospel to Scythia, which was an space north of the Black Sea that at present contains the coast of Romania, Ukraine, elements of Russia, and Georgia. In consequence, the Orthodox Church buildings in Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Georgia have Saint Andrew as their apostolic founder.
Loss of life
The commonly accepted custom is that Andrew was martyred by crucifixion at Patras in Achaea (now in Greece) in AD 60. He thought himself unworthy to be martyred on the identical kind of cross as Jesus, so he was crucified on an x-shaped cross as a substitute. Many relics of Saint Andrew are mentioned to be enshrined within the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Patras, which is a spot of pilgrimage.
Patron saint
As a result of Andrew is taken into account the apostolic founding father of their church buildings, Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. He’s alleged to be the patron saint of fishermen and fish retailers. Extra fascinating is how he grew to become the patron saint of Scotland.
Reference to Scotland
A few of St. Andrew's relics are mentioned to have been delivered to Scotland by St. Regulus, a fourth-century monk who is alleged to have fled from Patras to Scotland in 345, taking lots of St. Andrew's bones with him. The story goes that Saint Regulus had a dream wherein Patras was below assault and he needed to carry the relics so far as potential to the western ends of the earth.
Whereas crusing within the North Sea, St Regulus and his social gathering have been shipwrecked off the coast of Fife, the place he was welcomed by the native Pictish king. A church and monastery devoted to St. Andrew was constructed on the location, and St. Andrew grew to become an vital saint for the Picts. The city was named after him and now St Andrews is thought for its historic college and because the dwelling of golf.
Flag of Saint Andrew
The cross of St. Andrew is predicated on the diagonal form of the cross on which St. Andrew was put to dying. In heraldry, a saltire is an x-shaped diagonal cross. There are two types of saltire. In a single type there’s a blue cross on a white background and in one other type there’s a white cross on a blue background. The Russian Navy makes use of the Saint Andrew flag, which is a blue saltire on a white background, as a result of Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Russia.
Scottish flag
The picture of the St. Andrew's cross, with a white cross on a blue background, is alleged to have originated from the nice battle between the Picts in 832. The Pictish military below King Hungus, Excessive King of Alba, was pursued by a bigger power. of the Angles and Saxons of Northumbria below their king Athelstan. Fearing the result of the engagement, King Angus prayed to Saint Andrew for victory and noticed a cloud formation within the blue sky that regarded like a white saltire. It regarded like a St. Andrew's cross, so he took it as an indication. The Scots gained the battle and the place King Athelstan was killed is now the village of Athelstaneford in East Lothian.
Later, when Kenneth MacAlpin united the Picts and Scots into the Kingdom of Scotland, Saint Andrew grew to become the patron saint. Later, the white cross on a blue background was adopted because the nationwide flag of Scotland and is likely one of the oldest nationwide flags on the planet, though not at all times with the identical shade of blue.
St. Andrew's Cross within the Union Jack
In 1606, after the crowns of England and Scotland have been united, the hoist of the Cross of St. George utilized in England and the hoist of the Cross of St. Andrew utilized in Scotland have been mixed to type the Union Jack (a jack referring to a small flag hoisted on a ship). In 1801, after union with Eire, a jack with a St. Patrick's cross was added to create the present model of the Union Jack. Thus, the flag of the UK has a cross of St. Andrew within the background, which additionally seems within the canton (higher left quarter) of the flags of Australia and New Zealand.
The St Andrew's flag is broadly utilized in Scotland at present, however is greatest identified internationally from sporting occasions the place Scotland performs individually from the opposite nations of the UK, notably in soccer, rugby and the Commonwealth Video games. It’s also the idea of the flag of Nova Scotia (Latin Nova Scotia) in Canada.
St. Andrew's Day
St Andrew's Day is well known on 30 November within the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox church buildings and has been a public vacation in Scotland since 2007. In Scotland and Scottish communities, the entire day is an excuse for patriotic celebrations.
Allow us to recall that St. Andrew, distinctive of all of the nationwide patrons of the UK, is the one one who was an precise biblical determine.
