Unboxing Catholicism

08/12/2023

𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐛𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢 𝐧𝐠𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐲𝐚?

Ayon po sa turo ng ating simbahan, the Most Holy Virgin Mary was in the first moment of conception by a unique gift of Grace and privilege of Almighty God and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, preserved free from all state of original sin.

Luke 1:26-31: What does full of grace mean? It came from the word "Kecharitomene," which is derived from the original Greek word "Charitoo," meaning Punuin ng Grasya, or "She who has been Graced." Siya po ay pinagpala na noon, patuloy na pinagpapala ngayon, at patuloy na pagpapalain. She has been graced from the very beginning, and that state of being full of grace continued throughout her life.

Judas 1:24-25: Sinasabi po dito mga kaibigan na may kakayahan ang Diyos na iligtas ang tao bago pa man siya magkasala. Kaya hindi po impossible at hindi din po ilohikal, hindi po unbiblical ang ating paniniwala sa Immaculate Conception.

𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐬𝐚:
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07/12/2023

DECEMBER 8 | SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
The Dogma: In 1854, Pope Pius IX issued an apostolic constitution called Ineffabilis Deus by which he declared the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary to be a dogma of faith. This definition was a response to the longstanding devotion and theological consensus that had built up over the centuries. By declaring a dogma of faith, the Holy Father used his highest papal teaching authority, binding every Catholic to accept this teaching.

Ineffabilis Deus begins by stating that the creation of the Blessed Virgin Mary was in the mind of God from all eternity. She is the Father’s “singular delight,” and “under God, one cannot even imagine anything greater, and which, outside of God, no mind can succeed in comprehending fully.” This statement should leave us with a profound faith in the Immaculate Conception and an acknowledgment of the great and incomprehensible mystery we celebrate. Only in Heaven, as we behold the Beatific Vision, will our minds also behold the beauty and profound mystery of God’s greatest act of creation in the person of the Mother of God. Her life is not an end in itself. She is not worshiped. She is not God. She is, however, to be loved and honored in a singularly unique way, for she is God’s most glorious creation and will be honored as such forever.

The first thing we must know about our Immaculate Mother is that she needed a Savior, just as all humans do. Her Savior is her Son, just as He is our Savior. However, in her, salvation was given “by a singular grace and privilege.” We are saved by the washing away of original sin through baptism. The Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception. She still suffered the effects of original sin, just as her Son did, in that He suffered and died. But her salvation transcended time in that the merits of salvation won by her Son Jesus’ Incarnation, death, and resurrection saved her from original sin at the very moment of her creation.

Mary’s role is first alluded to in the book of Genesis. We read about the fall of Adam and Eve, introducing Original Sin into human nature, thus requiring a Savior. Genesis 3:15 presents what many have called the Protoevangelium or “First Gospel” because, in mysterious language, it presents Christ as the New Adam and the Blessed Virgin Mary as the new Eve: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.” The “enmity” between the serpent and the “woman” reveals Mary’s complete opposition to the evil one and to sin. The “offspring” is Jesus and He will crush the head of satan, destroying sin and evil forever. This passage also reveals that Jesus invites His mother to participate in this act of salvation in a unique way. “They will strike at your head…” implying both Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary overcame sin and satan together, by the power of God, but through the motherhood of Mary, the new mother of all the living and the mother of those in the new order of grace.

The Blessed Virgin Mary has also been traditionally seen as the new Ark of the Covenant. The first Ark was a sacred vessel that contained the Ten Commandments, manna, and Aaron’s rod. The Ark was a symbol of God’s divine presence that only the High Priest could approach once a year after rigorous purification rituals. The Blessed Virgin Mary, being the new Ark of the Covenant, should also be treated with the greatest veneration, for she bore the divine within her womb and He came forth from her own body. Only the Great High Priest, Jesus her Son, could dare to approach and dwell within her.

At the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel came to the Virgin and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). This passage points to the Immaculate nature of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To be “full of grace” affirms the fact that grace so permeated Mary’s soul that sin had no place within her. Not only was she created free from sin, she also remained sinless throughout her life through the merit of her ongoing assent to God. Her prayerful response to the archangel was not only her response at that moment but was her continuous response to God throughout her life, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

If we turn again to the beginning of that constitution in which the Holy Father said that “no mind can succeed in comprehending fully” the Blessed Virgin Mary, then we will realize that the little we know and understand about her remains a deep mystery that we will only fully comprehend in Heaven. Therefore, as we honor the Immaculate Conception and Mary’s immaculate nature, we also must anticipate a continual unfolding of who she is. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was not the end but the beginning. After that pronouncement, subsequent popes have continued to deepen their teaching on her. In 1904, Pope Pius X spoke of Mary as the Mediatrix of Graces. In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; in 1954, he established the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Vatican II spoke of Mary as Mother of the Church and the Mediatrix of Grace.

"We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful." ~From the Apostolic Constitution issued by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854

Source: mycatholic.life/saints

07/12/2023

See you tomorrow sa ating on-site Advent Recollection and Holy Mass, . 🙏

07/12/2023

Who's joining us tomorrow? See you!

Hello, Unboxers ()!

Invited kayo rito!

Tara sa ating UC Advent Activity with our Spiritual Director, Fr. Cayo Estrada. Kitakits tayo on December 8, 1:30 pm at Queen of Angels Chapel, Riverbanks Center in Marikina City.

There will be Confession, Short Talk, Guided Prayers, and Holy Mass since it's a Holy Day of Obligation.

This is open for everyone so bring your family and friends!

Register na kayo sa bit.ly/ucadventreco23

07/12/2023

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒' 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘
A careful examination of the "Reformers," reveals a noteworthy acceptance of nearly all significant Marian doctrines. These "Reformers" asserted these doctrines' scriptural and fundamental nature within the historical Christian Faith.

If the early Protestants taught the Marian doctrines, why do modern-day Protestants no longer believe in them?

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫:
- Martin Luther, in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (published in 1521), defended the perpetual virginity of Mary. He argued that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus.
- Luther also expressed concern about those who denied Mary's perpetual virginity, stating that such denial detracted from her holiness.

"She is rightly called not only the mother of the man, but also the Mother of God ... It is certain that Mary is the Mother of the real and true God."

"It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a Virgin."

"There can be no doubt that the Virgin Mary is in heaven. How it happened we do not know."

"The veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart."

"Is Christ only to be adored? Or is the holy Mother of God rather not to be honoured? This is the woman who crushed the Serpent's head. Hear us. For your Son denies you nothing." Luther made this statement in his last sermon at Wittenberg in January 1546.

𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧:
- John Calvin, in his commentary on Matthew (published in 1553), also defended the perpetual virginity of Mary. He argued that the term "firstborn" used in Matthew 1:25 did not necessarily imply that Mary had other children after Jesus.
- Calvin acknowledged the longstanding tradition of Mary's perpetual virginity and sought to uphold it in his theological writings.
- The term he used most commonly in referring to Mary was "Holy Virgin"

"Elizabeth called Mary Mother of the Lord, because the unity of the person in the two natures of Christ was such that she could have said that the mortal man engendered in the womb of Mary was at the same time the eternal God."

"Helvidius has shown himself too ignorant, in saying that Mary had several sons, because mention is made in some passages of the brothers of Christ." Calvin translated "brothers" in this context to mean cousins or relatives.

"It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of his Son, granted her the highest honor."

"To this day we cannot enjoy the blessing brought to us in Christ without thinking at the same time of that which God gave as adornment and honour to Mary, in willing her to be the mother of his only-begotten Son."

𝐔𝐥𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐙𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢:
- Zwingli defended the perpetual virginity of Mary in his writings. He maintained that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus.
- Like Luther and Calvin, Zwingli interpreted the term "firstborn" in Matthew 1:25 not as an indication that Mary had other children after Jesus but as a cultural expression without implying subsequent childbirth. Zwingli, in his sermons and theological writings, expressed a concern for preserving the holiness and special status of Mary. He rejected the idea that Mary had other children after Jesus, emphasizing her unique role in the Incarnation.

"It was given to her what belongs to no creature, that in the flesh she should bring forth the Son of God."

"I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel as a pure Virgin brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin." Zwingli used Exodus 4:22 to defend the doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity.

"I esteem immensely the Mother of God, the ever chaste, immaculate Virgin Mary."

"Christ ... was born of a most undefiled Virgin."

"It was fitting that such a holy Son should have a holy Mother."

"The more the honor and love of Christ increases among men, so much the esteem and honor given to Mary should grow."

Source: catholicapologetics.info

Panoorin ang buong video sa:
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06/12/2023

December 6 | Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus)
St. Nicholas is a third-century Saint who became an inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus. He is known for selling all his possessions and giving his money to the poor. Raised as a devout Christian, St. Nicholas dedicated his whole life to serving the sick and suffering.

Saint Nicholas was born in Lycia in Asia Minor. He is one of the most popular saints of the Church, even though there is scarcely anything historically certain about him except that he was Bishop of Myra in the fourth century.

As a young man, he is said to have made a pilgrimage to Palestine and Egypt in order to study in the school of the Desert Fathers. On returning some years later, he was almost immediately ordained Bishop of Myra.

He was imprisoned during the Diocletian persecution and only released when Constantine the Great came to power and made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

He is also called Nicholas of Bari because his relics were taken to Bari by Italian merchants in 1087. He is associated with Chirstmas because of the tradition that he had the custom of giving secret gifts to children, and is thus associated with Santa Claus in some countries.

One well-known story of St. Nicholas involves a dowry for a father’s three daughters. In the third century, it was common for fathers to offer money to prospective husbands. However, one poor father with three daughters did not have money to do this.

Traditionally, families left their shoes by the fires at night so that they could dry. On three separate occasions, Ol' St. Nicholas provided a dowry for each girl. Legend says he made gold appear in their shoes, drying by the fire.

While St. Nicholas Day is not to be confused with Christmas, some similarities do exist. Traditions include leaving gifts in shoes (or stockings) or the exchange of small gifts. Another tradition suggests leaving treats for good boys and girls. However, the naughty ones receive a twig or chunk of coal.

As time passed St. Nicholas Day began in different ways. In Italy, this day was celebrated with feasts, gift-giving, and festivals. In other European countries like Germany and the Netherlands, children would leave their shoes or special St. Nicholas boot in front of the fireplace or front door at night and find presents in them in the morning. The history of St. Nicholas and his good deeds was part of the inspiration of the modern-day Santa Claus and Father Christmas, which is why there are some current traditions of leaving gifts in people’s boots or shoes (or stockings).

Sources:
nationaldaycalendar.com
nationaltoday.com
catholicnewsagency.com

04/12/2023

The Next Time a Protestant Asks You about the Assumption…
When I was Protestant, my pastor taught that the doctrine on Mary’s Assumption was a “new” teaching invented by the Catholic Church, one declared a dogma as recently as 1950.
That shocked me.
If Catholics truly maintained the teachings of the Apostles, how could the Church add new doctrines?
But I stand corrected.
Because St. John Damascene had proof of the Assumption.
Living in the 5th century, he was studious and educated on the classics and theology.
John used his gift of knowledge to defend the use of icons in the Church (Thanks to him we can enjoy religious art and keep statues).
Here’s what’s even more interesting…
John had preserved a letter dated roughly as old as the New Testament!
So what’s so special about it?
It contains Empress Pulcheria’s request for the relics of our Lady.
There, an ancient Christian from Jerusalem, Juvenalius, explains that the request was just impossible to fulfill.
Why?
Because it was a universally-accepted belief even at that time that the Mother of God had been assumed into heaven.
Juvenalius details how when the apostles gathered to open Mary’s tomb, they all saw that her body was not there.
They came to understand that her body and soul had been taken to heaven.
This account has been passed to the early Church Fathers, including St. John who preached, saying,
"It was necessary that the body of the one who preserved her virginity intact in giving birth should also be kept incorrupt after death. It was necessary that she, who carried the Creator in her womb when He was a baby, should dwell among the tabernacles of Heaven… It was necessary that the Mother of God share what belongs to her Son…” (Gambero, 1999 as cited in “A Little Treatise on Mary”, n.d.).
No Church Father denied the Assumption.
This is no “new” teaching of the Church!
And the Catholic Church holds the full teachings of the Church
Fathers from the Apostles.
This is the faith we believe in.
St. John, pray that we always be like Mary, so we can be closer to Jesus.
Written by: Mica
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- How much do I believe that Mary was assumed into heaven? How aware am I of this teaching? What does this mean to me?
- Do I fully accept this teaching of the Church? Did I accept it even without knowing why it was worth believing?
- How do I prepare to defend the faith clearly without being preachy?
CALL TO ACTION:
- Review your reasons for believing in the Assumption of Mary here >> https://www.catholic.com/.../onlin.../the-assumption-of-mary or for a lighter read >> https://www.franciscanmedia.org/.../the-assumption-of-mary
- There are Biblical arguments about Mary! Read about them here >> ​​https://www.ncregister.com/.../biblical-arguments-in...
- Why Mary? Read this article of how a bishop explains Mary to a Protestant >> https://catholicexchange.com/a-bishop-explains-mary-for...
References:
Franciscan Media. (2020). Saint John Damascene. Retrieved from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/sain.../saint-john-damascene
A Little Treatise on Mary by St. Damascene. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/mary19-3.htm
O'Connor, J.B. (1910). St. John Damascene. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 3, 2021 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08459b.htm
Stackpole, R. (2021). The case for the Assumption of Mary. The Divine Mercy. Retrieved from ​​https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/case-assumption-mary
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https://unboxingcatholicism.com/why-pray-to-saints-and.../
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03/12/2023

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03/12/2023

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03/12/2023

December 3 | Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier
Today marks the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, SJ, one of the first Jesuits, who is considered by some to be the greatest missionary since the time of the Apostles.

Xavier was born in Navarre, Spain, on April 7, 1506. After completing studies in Spain, he traveled to Paris in 1525 at age 19, where he entered the Collège de Sainte-Barbe and befriended Peter Faber and Ignatius Loyola. Ignatius soon won the confidence of the two men, and both Faber and Xavier offered themselves to the formation of the Society of Jesus. Four others (James Lainez, Alfonso Salmerón, Nicholas Bobadilla and Simón Rodrigues) joined them, and the seven professed vows of poverty and chastity in Montmartre on Aug. 15, 1534.

After completing his studies in Paris and teaching there for some time, Xavier left the city with his companions in 1536, traveling to Venice, where he attended to the sick in hospitals. On June 24, 1537, he was ordained with Ignatius. The following year Xavier went to Rome, where he met with Ignatius and his companions during the spring of 1539 to prepare for the definitive foundation of the Society of Jesus in 1540.

Xavier was next appointed by John III, the King of Portugal, to evangelize the people of the East Indies. In April 1541, he sailed to India on a dangerous voyage, landing at Goa in May 1542. He spent the first five months preaching and ministering to the sick. He would go through the streets ringing a bell, inviting children to hear the word of God and explaining the catechism to them.

In October 1542, he journeyed to the pearl fisheries on the southern coast, aiming to restore Christianity. Although introduced years before, Christianity had nearly disappeared there due to a lack of priests. He devoted almost three years to preaching to the people of Western India, converting many. He endured many hardships, including persecution at the hands of some of the kings in the country and some by Portuguese soldiers.

In the spring of 1545, Xavier traveled to Malacca in Malaysia, and in January 1546, to the Molucca Islands, where the Portuguese had some settlements. For a year and a half he preached the Gospel to the inhabitants. By July 1547, he had returned to Malacca, where he met a Japanese man named Anjiro and learned about Japan, inspiring him to spread Christianity there. However, the Society demanded his presence at Goa. During the six years that Xavier had been working elsewhere, other Jesuit missionaries had arrived at Goa, and in 1548, Xavier sent them across India, where he had established missions, to preserve and continue his work. He also established a novitiate and house of studies.

Xavier finally embarked for Japan in June 1549 with Father Cosme de Torres, a Spanish priest; Brother Juan Fernández; and Anjiro, who had been baptized at Goa and given the name Pablo de Santa Fe. They landed in Japan in August, and the entire first year was devoted to learning the Japanese language, with the help of Pablo de Santa Fe. Xavier began preaching and made some converts, but the Japanese monks had him banished from the city. He left Kagoshima in August 1550 to preach elsewhere in central and southern Japan.

After working about two and a half years in the country, he left the mission to Fr. de Torres and Br. Fernández, returning to Goa in 1552. Xavier then turned his thoughts to China and began planning an expedition there.

During his stay in Japan, Xavier had heard much about the Chinese and saw it as a great opportunity to spread the Gospel. He left Goa in April 1552, arriving in autumn at the small island of Shangchuan, off the coast of China. Before reaching the mainland, however, he became ill and died on the island on Dec. 3, 1552.

He completed a staggering amount of missionary work in just 10 years — May 1542 to December 1552 — earning him the titles “Apostle of the Indies” and “Apostle of Japan.” He was canonized with St. Ignatius in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV and named the patron saint of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X.

His body is still enshrined at Goa in the Basilica of Bom Jesus. In 1614, by the order of Superior General of the Society of Jesus Claudio Acquaviva, his right arm was severed at the elbow and taken to Rome, where an altar was made to display it in the Church of the Gesu.

Source: jesuits.org/stories

02/12/2023

ADVENT CANDLES AND ADVENT WREATHS

The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “a coming, approach, arrival.” When we expect guests to arrive at our homes, we turn the lights on; we anticipate their arrival and welcome them with joy.

ADVENT WREATH
The circular shape of the Advent wreath symbolizes God’s infinite love for us – it is never-ending, just like the true Light of the World, Jesus, who leads us into eternal life with Him. The materials of the Advent wreath similarly lead us to reflect on the everlasting nature of God; traditionally, Advent wreaths have been made of evergreen leaves, such as pine or fir, which maintain their green color beyond the season in which they are collected. Nowadays, there are many modern interpretations of Advent wreaths that still help us celebrate the traditional meaning of the wreath: preparing the way for the Light of the World, Jesus.

ADVENT CANDLES
The four candles of Advent represent the four Sundays of Advent, and they respectively symbolize hope, peace, joy, and love. In some homes and parishes, people will also light a fifth candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to represent the birth of Jesus; this candle, when added to the Advent wreath, is typically white and larger than the other candles and is placed in the center of the wreath.

Advent week 1 – Hope: Prophecy Candle (purple)
Advent week 2 – Peace: Bethlehem Candle (purple)
Advent week 3 – Joy: Shepherd’s Candle (pink)
Advent week 4 – Love: Angel’s Candle (purple)

First Advent Candle: Hope
It is sometimes called the “PROPHESY CANDLE” in remembrance of Prophet Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

Second Advent Candle: Peace
Often called the “Bethlehem Candle,” the second Advent candle reminds us of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to Jesus. Building on the meaning of the Prophecy Candle, this second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might finally be peace on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace.

Third Advent Candle: Joy – “Gaudete Sunday”
As we continue to approach Christmas Day, our joy grows more and more. The third candle takes us back to the joyful anticipation of the shepherds who journeyed to see Jesus in Bethlehem, even before the wise men. On this third Sunday of Advent, which the Church calls “Gaudete Sunday,” meaning rejoice or praise, we light the third candle and rejoice like the shepherds. For this reason, the third candle of Advent is called the “Shepherd’s Candle,” and its color is pink, the liturgical color for joy.

Fourth Advent Candle: Love
The fourth candle of Advent represents Love, the ultimate love of God that He might send His only Son for us. Called the “Angel’s Candle,” the fourth candle of Advent is lit the Sunday before Christmas, and it is the color purple, leading us to eagerly await the new Kingdom of God on earth.

Source: hallow.com/blog

30/11/2023

NOVEMBER 30 | FEAST OF ST. ANDREW, THE APOSTLE

Saint Andrew, one of the Twelve Apostles, was most likely born in Bethsaida, just north of the Sea of Galilee, in what is today the Golan Heights. As a young man, he and his brother, Peter, worked as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. John’s Gospel reveals that Andrew was a disciple of Saint John the Baptist prior to his encounter with Jesus. This shows that Andrew was searching and took his faith seriously. As is recorded in John 1:35–42, Andrew and another disciple were listening to John preach in the desert. As they listened to him, the Baptist saw Jesus in the distance and prophetically exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” After Andrew and the other disciple inquired of Jesus where He was staying, Jesus invited them to follow Him by saying, “Come, and you will see.” They then spent the rest of the day with Jesus. Andrew is, therefore, the first of the Apostles to be called and to respond to that call. For that reason, the Greek Church calls Andrew the “Protokletos,” meaning, “the first called.”

Shortly after this encounter, Andrew becomes an apostle to his brother, Simon Peter. He tells Simon, “We have found the Messiah.” This statement says much about Andrew’s interior spiritual sensibilities. First, he clearly understood that John the Baptist’s ministry was special. Andrew followed John the Baptist, discerning that he was a prophet. When John points Andrew to Jesus, Andrew immediately follows Him, engages Him, and believes in Him. It’s clearly an act of supernatural revelation that enabled Andrew to profess his faith in Jesus as the Messiah within a day of meeting Him. And the fact that he wanted his brother to share in this discovery shows that this grace was overflowing.

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark present Jesus’ first encounter with Andrew and Peter a bit differently, although those passages are not contradictory. “As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Then they abandoned their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:16–18). It’s possible that after Andrew’s and Peter’s first encounters with Jesus, they allowed their discovery of the Messiah to sprout within their hearts, continued their work as fishermen, and awaited Jesus’ definitive call. In this passage, Jesus gives that definitive call, and the brothers do not hesitate to abandon their trade to become His full-time disciples.

Peter and Andrew appear to have been living in Capernaum at that time, a small fishing village on the north end of the Sea of Galilee. “On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John” (Mark 1:29). Upon entering the house of Simon and Andrew, Jesus cured Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever. That house in Capernaum then became a base of operation for Jesus’ ministry throughout Galilee.

In Mark 13:3–4, Andrew is among the Apostles who privately asked what Jesus meant when He predicted the destruction of the Temple. Jesus answered by giving a discourse about coming persecutions and the end of time. John Chapter 6 begins with Jesus going up a mountain north of the Sea of Galilee with a large crowd following. He asks Philip where they can get enough food for everyone. Philip responds, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit]” (John 6:7). Andrew, however, responds with a spark of faith, stating, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” (John 6:9). It appears that this little faith, which flows with a small amount of hope that the five barley loaves and two fish might be of use, is enough for Jesus to perform the miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.

In John 12:20–22, Andrew and Philip mediate a request from the Greeks to Jesus. The Greeks wanted to see Jesus, so Philip and Andrew—who probably knew Greek—were the ones to present this request to the Lord. This is a prefiguration of their role in mediating the Word of God to the world, including the Gentiles. Andrew’s familiarity with the Greek language and culture is also evidenced by the fact that his name is of Greek origin, not Hebrew.

Other than these passages, Andrew is only mentioned a few other times in the New Testament, including in the listing of the Apostles (Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14). The Acts of the Apostles relates that Andrew was among those who, after Jesus’ Ascension, went into Jerusalem, entered an upper room in a home, and “devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Acts 1:14). Andrew was then involved with picking Matthias as Judas’ replacement and was present in that same upper room during Pentecost. Peter’s activity after Pentecost is well documented in Acts, and it can be presumed that his brother Andrew was also active.

Though Andrew’s missionary work after Pentecost is not recorded in the New Testament, later traditions emerged from the late second or early third century. According to those traditions, Andrew traveled to Scythia, a region that today makes up part of Ukraine, southern Russia, and parts of Kazakhstan. He is also believed to have founded the Church in Byzantium, which became known as Constantinople when Emperor Constantine made it the capital of the Roman Empire. Today it is the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Byzantium-Constantinople became the central Church for the East, the Greeks. Many have seen it as significant that Peter founded the Church of Rome in the West, and his brother founded the Church in the East, revealing the unity of East and West. In addition to other legends that Andrew preached in Asia Minor and the Black Sea region, his life is said to have ended in the city of Patras, Greece, where he was crucified on an X-shaped cross. Peter is believed to have requested to be crucified upside-down because he did not deem himself worthy of dying on a cross like Jesus. Andrew is said to have requested the X-shaped cross for the same reason.

According to that tradition, which comes to us in a second-century document called Acts of Andrew, Proconsul Ægeates was visiting the city of Patras, where Andrew was preaching. Ægeates sought to put an end to the new Christian religion and to convince Christians to honor the Roman gods and offer sacrifice to them. When Andrew heard of this, he ran to meet Ægeates, telling him that the Son of God “came on account of the salvation of men.” Of the Roman gods he said, “…these idols are not only not gods, but also most shameful demons, and hostile to the human race…” Ægeates was outraged but carried out a long dialogue in which he inquired about Jesus’ death on the Cross, suggesting that Jesus’ death was foolish and was because of Jesus’ false doctrine. Andrew, however, proclaimed to him the true mystery of the Cross in which Christ embraced it freely so that He could win the salvation of those who would believe in Him. By the end of their conversation, Ægeates ordered Andrew’s crucifixion. Saint Andrew did not see Christ’s Cross as an instrument of torture and death but as a glorious means of eternal salvation. He saw his own suffering and death as a sharing not only in Christ’s sufferings but also in Christ’s redemption. Thus, he ran to that cross and embraced it wholeheartedly.

Saint Andrew the Apostle, God called you, and you listened and responded. After responding, the Son of God formed you, taught you, and prepared you for the mission He entrusted to you. Please pray for me, that I will more fully imitate your willing acceptance of Christ in my life, so that I will be able to be more fully formed by Him and used by Him to be an instrument of His saving Cross to the world. Saint Andrew, pray for us.

Source: mycatholic.life/saints