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- Andrei Pervozvanny Memorial Day: why he became the heavenly patron saint of Russia, what to pray for today
Andrei Pervozvanny Memorial Day: why he became the heavenly patron saint of Russia, what to pray for today
On December 13, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of Apostle Andrew, one of the closest disciples of Jesus Christ. According to the Gospel of John, the Apostle Andrew was the first follower of the prophet who devoted his life to serving God and preaching Christianity throughout the world. In Russia, the saint is honored as the patron saint of our state and the heavenly protector of sailors. On the day of the church celebration, it is customary to go to service in the temple and congratulate men named Andrew on their namesakes. What is known about the Orthodox path and feats of St. Andrew and why the apostle is one of the most revered saints in the Russian Orthodox Church - in the material "Izvestia".
A brief biography of the Apostle Andrew and the fate of his relics
About the life and deeds of St. Andrew are mentioned in the New Testament, namely - in the Gospel of John. According to it, Saint Andrew is one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, revered as the closest follower of the Savior. He was the first of the apostles to become a disciple of the prophet, having learned of his existence from John the Baptist. It was for this that the saint was called the First-Called. The Apostle Andrew witnessed the main events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, including his death and resurrection. In Russia, the saint is honored as the patron saint of the country, because the Apostle Andrew was the first and only one of Christ's disciples who brought the message of Christianity to the lands of future Russia.
According to the life of Andrew, the future apostle was born in Bethsaida, a small settlement on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, in the center of modern Israel. He had a younger brother Simon, later Peter, with whom they learned fishing from a young age, since they were born into a fisherman's family. However, Andrew realized from an early age that his true destiny was to know God and live according to his commandments. Therefore, he kept chastity and refused to marry. Andrei's spiritual quest led him to John the Baptist, the closest predecessor of Jesus Christ, who predicted his coming. Andrew was imbued with John's Christian ideas and became his disciple.
Andrew met the Messiah for the first time when he was baptized in the Jordan. He saw how the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus Christ, incarnated in a dove, after which Andrew believed in Christ as the Son of God, and the latter called him Andrew the First-Called. After some time the apostle told about Christ to his brother Simon, who also became his follower, and received the name Peter, which means "stone" or "rock" in Greek. Having accepted Christianity, Andrew and Peter, among the other apostles, witnessed the miracles, preaching and sufferings of Jesus.
Fifty days after the miraculous resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, giving them the ability to heal people and preach in different languages. Andrew, like the other apostles, went to new lands to spread the good news. He preached the message of Christ to the inhabitants of the settlements near the Black Sea and the two major rivers, the Danube and the Dnieper.
The Gospel of John tells us that the Christian path of the apostle was thorny, but he bore this burden with humility and dignity. He had to face a great deal of torment in the city of Sinop, where the pagans subjected him to cruel tortures. For his sermons he was mercilessly beaten with sticks, stoned, and had his teeth pulled out. However, he bravely endured all the tortures, remaining faithful to Christ.
St. Andrew had not only the gift of healing, but also the ability to resurrect the dead. According to legend, during his missionary work the apostle was in a town where a tragedy occurred: 40 sailors and fishermen drowned in the river. Having learned about the gift of the disciple of Jesus Christ, the grief-stricken relatives of the victims turned to him for help. After praying to God, Andrew resurrected the drowned, revealing God's power and strengthening the faith of the local people.
The Church of St. Andrew the Apostle in the village of Atyashevo in Mordovia
Also the apostle is honored as the founder of the Constantinople Orthodox Church. He was the first to preach the doctrine of the Savior in the future center of Eastern Christianity - in the city of Byzantium, which later received the name Constantinople. Andrew ordained Stachys of Byzantium, one of the 70 apostles of Christ, whom Paul mentions in his "Epistle to the Romans", to the honorable dignity of bishop. Together they raised up the Christian Church, gathering many followers. In the sanctuary Stachys preached the Gospel for 16 years, converting the Gentiles to the true faith. Thanks to the efforts of the apostles, Byzantium soon became the center of the Orthodox world.
The earthly life of St. Andrew ended in the Greek city of Patras in approximately 67 years from the Nativity of Christ. In this place the apostle has lived some years, preaching among local population doctrine of Jesus Christ. The governor of the city was a pagan and regarded the actions of Andrew as an attempt to seize power through faith. He ordered the apostle to be crucified on a cross. Before his execution Andrew wished only one thing: that the cross should not repeat the shape of the one on which Jesus was crucified - the apostle believed that he was not worthy to die the same death as the prophet, and therefore he was crucified on a slanted cross. Subsequently, the place of his martyrdom was named St. Andrew's Cross.
The apostle succeeded in fulfilling the main calling that Christ had spoken to His disciples. He foretold that from fishermen they would become "fishers of men" - they would gather the people of God, converting them to Christianity. As a tribute to the memory, not far from the place of the crucifixion of the holy apostle, the majestic Cathedral of St. Andrew was erected in Patras, which today is considered the largest in Greece.
Monument to St. Andrew the First-Called in Sevastopol
The relics of the Apostle have been honored by the faithful since ancient times. After his execution they were in Patras, but in the IV century, fearing plunder, the clergy moved them to Constantinople. There they were kept in the Church of the Holy Apostles next to the relics of St. Luke the Evangelist and the Apostle of the Seventy Timothy. After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders, part of the relics of St. Andrew in 1208 was transported to the Italian city of Amalfi, where they remain to this day in the Cathedral of St. Andrew. The head and cross of the Apostle remained in Patras for many centuries, until in 1462 the Morean ruler Thomas Palaeologus took them to Italy for safekeeping to the Roman Pope Pius II after the capture of the city by the Turks.
In 1964, on the initiative of Pope Paul VI, part of the relics of St. Andrew was returned to Patras as a sign of reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. In Russia, the relics of St. Andrew can be seen today in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. They are in a special frame and may be available for viewing only on certain days, as the relics are often involved in processions and moved to other churches.
Apostle Andrew the First-Called is the heavenly patron saint of Russia
Andrew Pervozvanny is the only disciple of Christ who visited the lands of future Russia. For this important act in Russian Orthodox Church the apostle is honored as the first Christian preacher of Ancient Russia. According to the "Tale of Bygone Years" of the XII century, the saint carried the light of faith along the path from the Black Sea coast northward to the future Novgorod. When Apostle Andrew traveled up the Dnieper River to the place where the city of Kiev now stands, he decided to rest in this area after a tiring journey. In the morning he announced an important prophecy to the disciples traveling with him.
Social Charity Action "Ship-Church "St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle"
"Do you see these mountains? On these mountains the grace of God will shine forth, there will be a great city, and God will raise up many churches," said the apostle.
After that Andrew the First-Called ascended the mountains he had mentioned, blessed them and put up the cross. However, another legend says that after that the saint reached Novgorod, erected a cross near the village of Gruzino and converted the local priests to Christianity, putting an end to paganism in these lands. After traveling upstream, St. Andrew reached the shores of Ladoga and from there returned to Rome through Western Europe.
Since then, in honor of the Christian merits of the apostle in Russia were erected many monasteries. In 1086 the son of Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod Yaroslavich, founded in Kiev a temple in the name of St. Andrew. In 1089, Metropolitan Ephraim of Pereyaslavl consecrated a stone cathedral in the name of the Apostle, and at the end of the 11th century another church dedicated to the saint was built in Novgorod.
Emperor Peter the Great paid tribute to the saint in his time. During the foundation of St. Petersburg, the sovereign laid an ark with a part of the relics of St. Andrew in the fortress on Hare Island. In addition, Peter I established in the name of the saint the first state award of the Russian Empire - the Imperial Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, which is still considered one of the most honorable rewards awarded for exceptional services to the Fatherland.
Order of St. Andrew the Apostle
The Emperor also introduced the official flag of the Russian Navy - white with a blue St. Andrew's Cross. Under this flag Russian sailors made many famous voyages, geographical discoveries and legendary feats.
The memory of St. Andrew was included in all kinds of Russian church calendars. The solemnity established in honor of the apostle is celebrated annually on the day of his martyrdom. In 2024, the day of the memory of St. Andrew is celebrated on December 13. On this day, believers pray to the heavenly patron saint of Russia for the protection of the Fatherland, asking the saint for intercession. They also pray to the Apostle for conversion to the faith of Christ - for example, for the return of a loved one to the Church. Sailors invariably turn to St. Andrew before starting a voyage, and fishermen ask him for successful fishing and deliverance from troubles.
People also pray to St. Andrew for healing of illnesses and health, for protection of the family from troubles, for strengthening of faith, for giving strength in the struggle against life's difficulties, for a happy marriage and a good husband, for a good heart and mercy to others. Addressed to the saint through a powerful prayer:
"First-Called Apostle of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, supreme follower of the Church, Vsevolna Andrei! We glorify and magnify your apostolic labors. <...> We believe that you also pray to God for us, seeing in His light all our needs. In this way we believe, and in this way we confess our faith in thy temple, and we pray to our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, that through thy prayers, which he hears and accepts at all times, he may grant us all things necessary for the salvation of us sinners. <...> And having you as an intercessor and praying for us, we trust that your prayer can do much before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...".
Andrew: name meaning and character traits
According to Orthodox Christianity, each person has his own guardian angel. December 13, namesakes, or angel day, celebrate men who received at birth the name Andrew. The origin of this name goes back to ancient Greece. In those days, the word "andros" meant "man", "man". From it came the name Andreas ("brave", "courageous", "brave"), which in Russia was transformed into the familiar today name Andrew.
According to astrologers, the bearer of this name by nature is a cheerful and cheerful person who likes to be in the center of attention and take a leadership position. With his charm he can conquer almost everyone. Andrew is responsive and attentive to the problems of his relatives, friends, acquaintances and colleagues.
Andrew is a self-critical, balanced person who needs to keep everything under control. He knows his own price, but it often turns out to be an inflated self-esteem. Among the negative traits in people with the name Andrew astrologers distinguish irascibility, a tendency to dictatorial behavior and frequent mood swings. They can easily lose their temper if someone else instead of him causes more interest in the company.
The character of Andrew also largely depends on what time of year he was born. Born in winter and fall has the gift of easily convincing people. He is fair and does not forgive betrayal and deceit. Winter is inclined to art, and autumn has a mathematical mind. The one born in summer is the most cheerful. He always becomes a favorite among comrades. Spring is a born orator and writer.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
