St. Andrew and the Advent Tradition

It’s the feast day of St. Andrew. It also begins the namesake of a prayer that is said fifteen times a day from his feast day until Christmas Day.

Here are some basic backgrounds on this beloved saint and apostle of Jesus.

Working backward from his birthday in Heaven as recounted in The Roman Martyrology:

At Patras in Achaia, the birthday of Saint Andre the Apostle, who preached The Gospel of Christ in Thrace and Scythia. He was arrested by Aegeas the proconsul, and first of all imprisoned, then severely scourged, and lastly hung upon a cross, whereon he survived for two days, teaching the people; and after beseeching the Lord that he would not permit him to be taken down from the Cross, he was enveloped in a great light from heaven and when this faded away he gave up the ghost.

In scripture, St. Andrew has been consistently portrayed as the brother of our first pope, Peter (John 1:40). In all four of the gospels, St. Andrew is one of the four apostles that has been constantly mentioned in the four gospel accounts and Acts. Matthew: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John. In Mark: Simon Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Luke restores him to second place: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John; In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke places Andrew to fourth place after Peter, John, and James.

St. Andrew is the patron saint of the countries of Scotland (hence the white X on the nation’s flag) and Russia as the Russian Orthodox Church revere him in their liturgy. He is the co-patron of Greece.

In the Traditional Latin Mass, St. Andrew is mentioned in the following prayer prior to receiving communion:

Deliver us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all evils, past, present, and to come, and by the intercession of the blessed and glorious Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, together with Thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and Andrew, and all the saints.

Thus, Andrew is the last saint named before we receive Christ’s body and blood.

Beginning on his feast day and ending on Christmas, there’s a prayer attributed to him that is recited fifteen times during that period.

Hail and blessed be the hour and the

Moment in which the Son of God was

Born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at

Midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing

Cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, I beseech

Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and

Grant my desires, through the merits

Of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His

Blessed Mother. Amen.

Those who pray this from November 30th until Christmas Eve will have a favor obtained.