The path of St. Andrew the First-Called exposition. Andrew the First-Called: short biography. What was the last city the Apostle Andrew visited?

A short biography of Andrew the First-Called describes how a simple fisherman became an apostle of Christ. Together with other witnesses of the Resurrection of his Teacher, the apostle - which means witness - fermented the entire universe with a new saving faith, unprecedented and unthinkable before. This was such an innovation that everyone who Andrei met was inflamed with either love and devotion to God, or rejection and hatred. Apostle Andrew the First-Called was the one who enlightened you and me - through his mission in modern Ukraine and Russia. Today, many places in Crimea still testify to this - even the temples that the apostle himself began to build have been preserved.

The Apostle Andrew was a Galilean, a fellow countryman of the sons of Zebedee - the apostles John and James. Having first become a disciple of John the Baptist, he was the first to respond to the Savior’s call to preach. Due to the fact that he was given the honor of being the first to follow Christ, he was nicknamed the First-Called. The future apostle follows the Messiah, preceding John and Peter.

Life of St. Andrew the First-Called

Andrew the First-Called lived in the north of the Holy Land in an area called Galilee. Since the area bordered Greece, there was a lot of communication between the two peoples. That’s why Andrei got his Greek name, which means “Courageous.” From his youth, the future apostle retained chastity and his ardent desire to serve God; he first responded to the preaching of John the Baptist and was one of his disciples. After the baptism of Christ and the Forerunner’s instructions about Him that “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” the Apostle Andrew, without hesitation, followed Him. With him was John, the future beloved disciple of Christ. This is how the first four apostles appeared: Andrew called his brother, the future apostle Peter, and now just Simon, and John called James: “We have found the Messiah!”

Saint Andrew the First-Called was with Christ from the very beginning of his preaching, and until the last: he was with him during the revelation by the Lord about the destinies of the world, he told who had five loaves of bread and two fish before the miracle of multiplication. He was with Him on the Mount of Olives, where Christ ascended to heaven after His Resurrection.

According to the Savior’s promise, on the 50th day after His Ascension the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and the Mother of God. The apostles, after being enlightened by grace and filled with many Holy gifts, went out to preach. In the Upper Room of Zion they cast lots - who should go to preach in what country. Apostle Andrew inherited our lands - the north of the Black Sea. In his wanderings, he reached the future Kyiv, where he planted a cross and predicted that the Lord would enlighten this land with Holy Baptism and erect many churches on it.

After returning to Greece, for many healings and conversions to Christianity, the Apostle Andrew shared the fate of most of the other apostles: he was crucified by the wicked pagan ruler. But he was crucified in such a way that his torment would last longer. To do this, they tied him to a cross resembling the letter X, without nailing him down, so that the saint would not die quickly. After two days of suffering, the apostle went to the Lord in prayer and those present saw how a bright light illuminated the cross with the martyr and in this radiance he betrayed his soul.

Veneration of Saint Andrew the First-Called

Apostle Andrew is considered the patron saint of the Russian Church, since it, the direct heir of Byzantium, took over the succession that the Church of Constantinople led from Andrew the First-Called.

In Russia, his memory was always solemnly celebrated - to a greater extent before the revolution. Peter 1 introduced special veneration - the highest award order named after him and approved the St. Andrew's flag, under which many victories were accomplished. The flag depicts an X-shaped cross - blue on a white background - on which the apostle was crucified.

The relics of Saint Andrew are kept in the Greek city of Patras, at the site of the apostle’s crucifixion. In 1974, a grandiose cathedral named after him, known throughout the world, was erected here.

Andrew the First-Called: what do they pray for?

Andrew the First-Called is the patron saint of Ukraine and Russia, as well as other countries located in the territory where he preached: these are modern Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Asia Minor. He also patronizes fishermen and sailors. St. Andrew's battle flag is known throughout the world: since the 17th century it has been national flag Russian navy. They pray to Andrew the First-Called for conversion to the holy faith, for success in the defense of the fatherland, for the well-being of sailors.

From Holy Tradition there are known cases of not just trouble-free healing, but also the resurrection of people by Andrew: like the other apostles, he repeatedly used the gift of Christ and brought people back to life. Therefore, you can pray to him for healing from illnesses.

At the site of his martyrdom, a spring filled with water that had the ability to heal. Now there is a huge cathedral named after him. Famous for its splendor, it took almost 60 years to build.

Prayer to St. Andrew the First-Called

The memory of Saint Andrew the First-Called is honored with prayer. Believers pray for healing and health.

Prayer to Saint Andrew the First-Called

First-called Apostle of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, supreme follower of the Church, all-validated Andrew! We glorify and magnify your apostolic works, we sweetly remember your blessed coming to us, we bless your honorable suffering, which you endured for Christ, we kiss your sacred relics, we honor your holy memory and believe that the Lord lives, and your soul lives, and with You remain with us forever in heaven, where you do not forsake us with your love, as you loved our fathers, when through the Holy Spirit you saw our land turning to Christ. We believe, as God prayed for us; in His light all our needs are in vain. Thus we confess this faith of ours in your temple, and we pray to the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, that through your prayers he will give us everything we need for the salvation of us sinners: yes, just as you abided by the voice of the Lord, forsake your hesitations; and let each one of us seek not his own, but for the building up of his neighbor, and let him think about a higher calling. Having you as an intercessor and prayer book for us, we hope that your prayer can accomplish much before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Troparion to St. Andrew the First-Called

As the first-called and supremely existing brother of the Apostles, Andrei, the Lord of all, pray to grant greater peace to the universe and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion to St. Andrew the First-Called

Let us praise the courage of the same-named eulogist and the Church's supreme successor, Peter's relative, just as in ancient times and now we have cried out to us: come, you who have found the Desired.

Briefly examining the biography of Andrew the First-Called, we see a courageous man, fearless in the face of inhuman trials: preaching among wild, barbaric peoples was doubly courageous if we remember the customs of wild pagans. But the love of Christ burned in his heart and, therefore, today we are enlightened by the faith of Christ. Let us appreciate the merits of our patron, and remember his life, which is so instructive for us.

The Apostle Andrew was from Galilee. This northern part of the Holy Land was distinguished by its fertility and picturesqueness, and its inhabitants were good natured and hospitable. The Galileans easily got along with the Greeks, who inhabited their country in large numbers; many spoke Greek and even wore greek names. The name Andrey is Greek and means “courageous.”

When John the Baptist began to preach on the banks of the Jordan, Andrew, together with John Zebedee (who came from the same city - Bethsaida), followed the prophet, hoping to find an answer to his spiritual questions in his teaching. Many began to think that maybe John the Baptist was the expected Messiah, but he explained to people that he was not the Messiah, but was sent only to prepare the way for Him. At that time, the Lord Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist on the Jordan for baptism, and he, pointing to the Lord, said to his disciples: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Hearing this, Andrew and John followed Jesus. The Lord, seeing them, asked: “What do you need?” They said: “Rabbi (Teacher), where do you live?” “Come and see,” Jesus answered, and from that time they became His disciples. On the same day, the Apostle Andrew went to his brother Simon Peter and told him: “We have found the Messiah.” So Peter joined the disciples of Christ.

However, the apostles did not immediately devote themselves entirely to the apostolic title. From the Gospel we know that the brothers Andrew and Simon Peter and the brothers John and James had to return to their families for a while and take up their usual work - fishing. A few months later, the Lord, passing by Lake Galilee and seeing them fishing, said: “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their boats and nets and from that day became constant disciples of Christ.

Andrew, who followed the Lord earlier than the other apostles, received the name First-Called. He remained with Christ throughout the entire period of His public ministry. After the Resurrection of the Savior, Apostle Andrew, together with other disciples, was honored with meetings with Him and was present on the Mount of Olives when the Lord, having blessed them, ascended to Heaven.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles cast lots as to who should go to which country to preach the Gospel. Saint Andrew inherited the countries lying along the Black Sea coast, the northern part Balkan Peninsula and Scythia, i.e. the Land on which Russia was later formed. According to legend, the Apostle Andrew preached on the Tauride Peninsula, then climbed north along the Dnieper and reached the place where Kyiv subsequently arose. “Believe me,” the apostle said to his disciples, “that the grace of God will shine on these mountains: a great city will be here, the Lord will enlighten this land with holy baptism and will erect many churches here.” Then the Apostle Andrew blessed Kyiv mountains and placed a cross on one of them, foreshadowing the adoption of faith by the future inhabitants of Rus'.

After returning to Greece, the Apostle Andrew stopped in the city of Patros (Patra), located near the Gulf of Corinth. Here, through the laying on of hands, he healed many people from illnesses, including the noble Maximilla, who believed in Christ with all her heart and became a disciple of the apostle. Since many residents of Patras believed in Christ, the local ruler Egeat was inflamed with hatred against the Apostle Andrew and sentenced Him to crucifixion. The apostle, not at all afraid of the verdict, in an inspired sermon revealed to those gathered the spiritual power and significance of the Savior’s suffering on the cross.

Governor Egeat did not believe the apostle's preaching, calling his teaching madness. Then he ordered the apostle to be crucified so that he would suffer longer. St. Andrew was tied to the cross like the letter X, without driving nails into his hands and feet, so as not to cause imminent death. The unjust sentence of Egeat caused indignation among the people, nevertheless this sentence remained in force.

Hanging on the cross, the Apostle Andrew prayed incessantly. Before the separation of his soul from his body, the heavenly light shone on Andrew’s cross, and in its brilliance the apostle departed into the eternal Kingdom of God. The martyrdom of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called followed about 62 years after the Nativity of Christ.

The Russian Church, having accepted the faith from Byzantium, whose bishops trace their succession to the Apostle Andrew, also considers itself his successor. That is why the memory of Saint Andrew the First-Called was so solemnly revered in pre-revolutionary Russia. Emperor Peter I established the first and highest order in honor of the Apostle Andrew, which was given as a reward to dignitaries of the state. Since the times of Peter the Great, the Russian fleet has made its banner the St. Andrew's flag, a blue X-shaped cross on a white background, under the shadow of which the Russians won many victories.

Apostle Andrew the First-Called has the grace of help in large quantities affairs, because his life was full of spiritual exploits and travels. Read the prayer and life of the apostle

Icon of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called and help from his honest relics

It is known that in Orthodox tradition It is customary to pray to different saints in different difficulties, on different occasions. The grace to help in special areas of life is related to the miracles they performed on earth or their destiny. Likewise, the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called has the grace of help in a large number of matters, because his life was varied, full of spiritual exploits and travels.

The Holy Apostle Andrew was called the First-Called because he became the first disciple of Christ. His Lord was the first to invite people to follow Him, learning His teaching. And after the Resurrection and Ascension of the Lord into Heaven, together with the other apostles, Saint Andrew worked and preached the teachings of Christ. His journey was longer and more extensive than that of other missionaries. It was the Apostle Andrew who brought Christianity to earth future Russia. But he did not die among the barbarians, but ended his life as a martyr not far from his homeland, preaching the Cross of Christ and His teaching with his very death.

How to recognize the icon of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called by its features?

In the church books - “the writings of the apostolic men,” that is, the records of the direct disciples of the apostles, there remains a description of the appearance of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called: it is said that he was tall and somewhat stooped, had an eagle-shaped nose, narrow eyebrows, thick hair and a beard, his eyes were kind, his gaze pious.

The image of St. Andrew the Apostle is an image of an elderly man with a thick gray beard, curling and tapering downwards. Church historians claim that he was born in the 6th year after the Nativity of Christ, that is, he was only 6 years younger than the Lord Jesus. It is known that he took martyrdom at 65 years old, which is why he is depicted at this age in the icon.

Sometimes the image shows the death of the Apostle Andrew or the instrument of his execution: the cross on which he, like Christ, was crucified, has an unusual shape for those times: these are two beveled boards equal length. At the direction of Peter I, it became the basis of the banner of the Russian fleet - the St. Andrew's flag. It is also sometimes depicted on an icon - it is a white panel crossed out by two beveled blue lines.

Sometimes the Apostle Andrew is depicted on the icon at full height, standing near his cross. Then he will hold a scroll in one hand, and with the other he will bless those praying in front of the icon. There are also shoulder-length images of the apostle, then his head will be bowed as if as a sign of humility before the Lord, but his hands will not be visible. In addition, the saint’s hands are folded crosswise on his chest, while his eyes are raised upward - these are prayer gestures. The holy apostle humbly, without grumbling, accepted his lot and the will of God about him; Praying to the Lord, even today he intercedes for the requests of all people. Seeing the death of Christ, like the other apostles, being afraid to approach His Cross, he repented of his betrayal of the Lord. He understood that he had to go through the same torment that he was afraid of when his Teacher, his Friend - and after all, Christ, except the apostles and His Mother, had no loved ones - abandoned by everyone, died on the Cross. Perhaps this is why only one of the apostles who remained with Christ at the time of His death, the Apostle John the Theologian, died of old age; the rest, in order to achieve holiness, atone for their sin and sit on the throne in the Kingdom of Heaven, had to testify to their loyalty to God.

In the 8th-9th centuries, the Byzantine monk Epiphanius systematized all information about the Apostle Andrew. He also mentioned the iron rod depicted on the icons of the Apostle Andrew with the image of the Cross of the Lord. In his long wanderings the saint always relied on him.

Revered icons of the First-Called Apostle are located in the following churches in Russia and the CIS:

St. Andrew's Church on Vagankovskoe cemetery capital of Russia.

Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” on Ordynka - here a small reliquary is built into the icon.

Dormition Church "Sioni" in Georgia, where the image of St. Apostle Andrew exudes myrrh - a fragrant, wonderful liquid from the essential oils of unknown plants.

Holy Trinity Patriarchal Cathedral of Tbilisi - here is an unusual wooden carved image of the apostle.

Church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi.

Church in honor of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God in Kuzminki.

Zosimo-Savvatievskaya Church in Golyanovo.

St. Andrew's Church in the Diveevo Convent, founded by St. Seraphim of Sarov.

St. Andrew's Cathedral in St. Petersburg - the husband of Blessed Xenia was a singer here.

Life of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called

The future saint was born in the village of Bethsaida, near Jerusalem. He was the elder brother of the future supreme apostle Peter, named Simon at birth. As a young man, he loved God with all his soul and wanted to devote his life to Him. He prayed a lot, did not marry, and worked on the boats of his father Jonah, together with his brother Simon, catching fish for sale and food. Having learned that a new prophet had appeared in Israel, preaching and baptizing on the banks of the Jordan, Andrei immediately joined the disciples of the Forerunner of the Lord John, becoming his close ally. The evangelists Matthew and John tell, but with slight differences, not contradictory friend, about Andrei’s meeting with Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John we read that John the Baptist himself pointed to the walking Jesus Christ, saying that the Lamb (sacrificial lamb) of God is coming, who takes upon himself the sins of all mankind. It was then that the future Apostle Andrew was next to him, and then he saw the Lord Jesus for the first time. But the Apostle Matthew writes that Christ Himself called Andrew to follow Him: seeing him and his brothers landing in a boat after a hard day of work in a boat, the Lord turned to them, calling them to follow Him and promising to make fishers of men, not fish, preaching Life eternal.

Perhaps the Apostle Andrew, standing next to John the Baptist, did not dare to leave his teacher and friend, but then John the Baptist blessed him to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. So, Apostle Andrew believes in Christ, takes upon himself the mission of preaching to people and decisively leaves home, family and property, following the Lord on his first journeys with which his whole life will be filled. He became the first apostle, the first companion of the Lord Jesus.

Soon Andrei announced good news(this is how the word “Gospel” is translated, in in a general sense meaning the teachings of Christ) to the elder brother Simon. According to the evangelists, he became the first person to exclaim: “We have found the Messiah, whose Name is Christ!” Andrew the First-Called brought his brother to Christ, and the Lord called him a new name: Peter, or Cephas - in Greek “stone”, explaining that on him, as on a stone, the Church would be created, which hell would not be able to defeat. 

According to the word of the Gospel, Andrew the First-Called was directly involved in several well-known episodes of Christ’s earthly life: he brought to the Lord a boy who had with him five loaves of bread and a pair of fish, which Christ, having blessed, miraculously multiplied and fed the crowd of people who were hungry after a whole day of preaching. Another time, with the Apostle Philip, they brought the Greeks - Hellenes, who wanted to move away from paganism and accept the teachings of Christ - to the Lord. Andrew the First-Called was among the chosen disciples of the Lord, whom he gathered on the Mount of Olives to talk about Last Judgment and the future of humanity.

The Apostle Andrew accompanied Christ and at His sunset earthly path: at the Last Supper, he received Communion from the hands of Christ, then, together with the other apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane, he tried to intercede for Christ, but he was afraid and, like everyone else, disappeared. During the Crucifixion, the apostles, for fear of being killed, did not approach the Cross of the Lord, except for one apostle John. However, after the Resurrection of Christ, they believed in the Divine will about the Crucifixion, death and the Kingdom of the Lord, and understood this to the end. During the Ascension of the Lord, Apostle Andrew and others received a blessing from the Lord to go and teach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Trinity: God the Father - Sabaoth, God the Son - Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit - the invisible Lord, visibly abiding in human history only in the form of fire, smoke or dove. The Holy Spirit descended on the Apostle Andrew, who, together with the Mother of God and the other apostles, was in the Upper Room of Zion - the place of the Last Supper - on Pentecost, that is, in memory of the Resurrection of Christ, they celebrated the meal on the fiftieth day after it.

Sermon of St. Andrew the First-Called in Russia and Slavic countries

After the Descent of the Holy Spirit on them, the apostles were enlightened with Divine knowledge. God Himself spoke in them, they instantly spoke in all the languages of the world: the Lord gave them this gift to preach the Gospel throughout the world. All the disciples of Christ, together with the Mother of God, received by lot directions and places where they were supposed to convert people to Christianity by baptizing them. According to the book of the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Andrew the First-Called was given the Black Sea coast and the Black Sea region.

Travel, and especially the journeys that the apostles embarked on, in that era were not easy and life-threatening due to the appropriate transport. I had to walk a lot, it was long and scary to sail on ships, and to turn into new faith people for whom blood sacrifices and murder for calling local gods demons were normal. Just think, if even today's atheists go as far as insulting them, as they did in ancient times. In the Roman Empire, there was even a law according to which people were executed for blasphemy, for preaching another religion - after all, even the emperor was considered here an infallible and omnipotent god among a host of other deities. By the time of the decline of the Roman Empire in the first centuries of Christianity, many understood that the gods of the Roman pantheon either did not exist or were evil, envious, vicious creatures. The apostles set out on a dangerous journey.

After Pentecost, Andrew the First-Called first went around the row preaching the Gospel eastern countries. He walked through Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia: the cities of Neokesarea, Samosata, the country of Alana, and also walked around the lands of the Basque and Zigi tribes. These pagans opposed the Word of God so much that among them there were people who wanted to kill the apostle as a blasphemer of their gods. But his humility, calmness, kindness and ascetic life inspired many of them, and the apostle was saved. He passed through the kingdom of Bosporus on the Black Sea coast and sailed by ship to the city of the Thracian country of Byzantium - the future center of the Byzantine Empire and the stronghold of Orthodoxy. It was Andrew the First-Called who was the first to preach the word of God here, founded the Church and ordained Bishop Stachys, one of the 70 apostles of Christ, whom He Himself sent during his lifetime to preach the Gospel. He taught Stachys and the ordained Byzantine priests how to perform the Sacraments and spiritually help people.

This important event for Orthodoxy was deeply studied by historians and theologians of the Byzantine Empire. With the help of understanding and studying the sermon of the Apostle Andrew, the Eastern Christian Church was established as an independent Church and equivalent to the Roman Church. Later, after the separation of the Catholic Church during the Great Schism of the 11th century, it became the only Orthodox Church. Byzantium emphasized that the Apostle Andrew was the elder brother of the Apostle Peter, and promoted the veneration of the Apostle Andrew in those countries where he preached Christ and where later Byzantine priests, as experienced shepherds, baptized and enlightened people: these are Armenia, Georgia, Moravia and Russia. The Byzantine Emperor Michael Ducas called on the Russian princes to a close union and fraternal love of the great Orthodox states, united not only by faith, but also by one of its sources: both future kingdoms were enlightened with the Gospel light by “one witness of the Sacrament and its messenger,” Apostle Andrew. Over time, the Russian Orthodox Church began to assert its independence from the Roman Catholic Church on the basis of the preaching of the Apostle Andrew.

Indeed, Andrew the First-Called reached the Danube, and after passing the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea coast, he moved further and climbed the Dnieper to the future Kyiv. According to legend, here, at the foot of the mountains, he spent the night with his companions and disciples, to whom he prophetically told, drawing their attention to the mountains, that God’s grace would shine here and a great city with many God’s churches would spread out. The First-Called Apostle erected a cross on the Kyiv mountains and blessed them with the grace of God.

But, according to the chroniclers, he did not stop here, but reached the sources of Volkhov in his wanderings. Near the present village of Gruzino on the Volkhov River, he immersed (hence the name) a cross into the water of the river - perhaps it was the same rod with a cross on which the apostle leaned.

Another place consecrated by the preaching of the Apostle Andrew and then shone by God's grace, became the island of Valaam in Lake Ladoga. Now here - Spaso-Preobrazhensky Valaam monastery, a spiritual gem of the Northwest region. According to legend, there used to be a pagan temple here, which was destroyed by Andrew the First-Called and a cross was erected in its place. On Valaam, to this day, not far from the Resurrection Skete, where the throne of the main skete church is consecrated in honor of the Apostle Andrew, there is a stone cross in the place of the apostle.

Unfortunately, historians do not have accurate data on how far the First-Called Apostle walked across the future Russian land. Church tradition often supplemented both the Gospel word and historical documents with your information. However, a number of scientists suggest that the holy apostle not only passed through the Crimea, consecrating the already existing city of Chersonesos (the famous Roman poet Ovid was probably in exile there), but also visited the Caucasus and Kuban. All Orthodox Russian people are sure of one thing: it is the First-Called Apostle who is also the first missionary in the Slavic lands. His name connects the Mother Church of Constantinople with the Russian Daughter Church, which was baptized from the Byzantine clergy. He has protected Russia for a number of eras.

The suffering and death of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called

During his wanderings, the apostle suffered not only hardships, but even torture. In some cities he was expelled and stoned. Thus, in the city of Sinope he was subjected to torture and beatings, but by God’s providence he remained alive and unharmed, continuing his journey. Through his prayers, God worked miracles, and through his labors, churches appeared and grew under the leadership of wise priests.

Through the prayers of the apostle, the Lord performed miracles. Through the labors of the Holy Apostle Andrew, Christian Churches arose, for which he appointed bishops and priesthood. In the city of Patras, upon returning from his long wanderings, he suffered a martyr's death.

In this place he also preached Christ, healed and resurrected people. Almost the entire population of the city converted to Christianity. Alas, the head of the city, Egeat, remained a pagan. His heart was hard. After a long dispute with the apostle, he angrily ordered that he be executed by the same death on the cross as the Christ he preached.

The apostle's preaching was not in vain. The people came to his defense and even wanted to kill Eneatus. But the apostle himself stopped the rebels from prison, asking them not to turn the city and the world into a rebellion that would please only the devil - after all, the Lord Himself, being led to execution, did not shout or resist evil. He called on them to remain calm and silent.

The holy apostle was not nailed to the cross, but tied to prolong his torment. According to the Holy Tradition, 20 thousand people were in the square for two days, outraged by the injustice of the execution of the righteous man. The Apostle, even in his suffering, preached from the cross, calling on all the difficulties of earthly life, even terrible death endure with submission to the will of God and expectation of reward in the Kingdom of Heaven.

A day later, people nevertheless went to the ruler and demanded to release the saint - so much so that the ruler got scared and he and his servants went to untie the apostle. But Andrew the First-Called began to pray so as not to be taken down from the cross and to accept the crown of martyrdom. Even the hands of the warriors and townspeople who tried to untie him grew stiff. The crucified apostle glorified God and asked Him to accept his soul - at the death of the apostle, a bright light actually shone from Heaven for about half an hour. The Lord himself descended for the soul of his first disciple, who redeemed with blood and testified with torment his fidelity to Christ.

Miracles of the Apostle Andrew

Like the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to help people suffering from their sins and convince them of the power of the Word of God, the Apostle Andrew helped people, healing them and helping resolve their difficulties in life, even resurrecting the dead. Thus, he healed the sick by the laying on of hands, sprinkled the paralyzed and sick with holy water, and with the touch of his fingers restored people’s sight. According to the writings of the apostle’s disciples, people were surprised not only by the miracles, but by the holiness and meekness of Andrew the First-Called himself.

The Apostle Andrew became famous for resurrecting many people in the name of God. Church historical sources provide the following information about his lifetime miracles, preserving even the names of those resurrected and reflecting the attitude of residents of different cities to Christianity:

In the city of Sinope - from where the pagans expelled him, subjecting him to torture - the apostle, at the request of a new Christian woman, resurrected her murdered husband. He held no grudges against the townspeople.

In Atskuri, on the territory of modern Georgia, the apostle resurrected a man prepared for burial, and thanks to this miracle, all the inhabitants of the city were baptized - unlike the Sinopians.

In Amaseev, the First-Called Apostle resurrected the boy Egyptius, who had died of a fever, through the prayer of his father.

During funeral procession Along the streets of Nicomedia, the apostle approached the tomb of a child and resurrected the boy who had died from the teeth of an animal.

While preaching on the city streets in Thessaloniki, the apostle resurrected a child who suddenly died due to respiratory arrest, and a baby who died from a snake bite.

In one of the cities, the Roman proconsul, with the help of soldiers, captured the apostle. One of the soldiers, who drew his sword at the saint, fell dead, but was immediately resurrected through the prayer of the apostle. This did not convince the cruel ruler named Virin of the power of God, and he threw the apostle into the amphitheater to beasts of prey. According to legend, neither the wild bull and boar, nor the leopard touched Saint Andrew, but the spotted predator suddenly rushed at the son of Virin himself. The boy strangled by a leopard was also resurrected by the good apostle himself, ready to help the grief of even his own tormentors.

The Apostle Andrew performed many miracles in the last city of his earthly journey - Patras. It is not for nothing that all the inhabitants of the city converted to Christianity. Thus, the apostle resurrected a drowned man who had been thrown ashore by the sea during a sermon. The resurrected man said that his name was Philopatra and he sailed from Macedonia to meet the apostle and accept the new teaching of Christ. His faith was rewarded: through the prayer of the apostle, the sea threw out 40 people sailing on a ship with Philopatra. All of them were resurrected by Andrew the First-Called. It was this miracle that gave rise to the veneration of the Apostle Andrew as the patron and savior of all sailors and fishermen.

Evidence of other patristic miracles has also been preserved: the healing of the seriously ill nobleman Sosius, the healing of the wife of the ruler Aeneates Maximilla and his brother Stratocles. That is why, when this cruel man sent the assistant and teacher of his relatives and subordinates to execution, people rebelled.

Maximilla herself, the ruler’s wife, gave burial to the honorable relics of the saint. On the site of the martyrdom of the Apostle Andrew in Patras, there now stands a huge cathedral in his honor - the largest temple in Greece, storing the relics of the righteous man and his cross.

The relics of St. Andrew the First-Called and his veneration in Russia

Several centuries later, with the triumph of Christianity in the Byzantine Empire, in 357, Emperor Constantine the Great ordered the relics of the first enlightener of the Byzantine lands, Apostle Andrew, to be transferred to Constantinople - the former village of Byzantium, where the saint preached. Here they were solemnly placed for veneration in the Church of the Cathedral of the Apostles, along with the relics of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke and the Apostle Timothy, a companion of the Apostle Paul.

Here they rested until 1208, when the city was captured by the crusaders and Cardinal Peter of Capua transferred part of the relics to Italian city Amalfi. Since 1458, the head of the holy apostle has remained with the relics of his brother, the supreme apostle Peter, in Rome. And the right hand - that is right hand, to which special honor is given, was transferred to Russia.

The Russian Orthodox Church, considering itself the successor to the apostolic ministry of Andrew the First-Called, has considered him its patron and helper since the beginning of the conversion of Rus' to Christianity.

The first church in his honor, around which the first convent in Rus' immediately arose, was created already in 1086 in Kyiv by Grand Duke Vsevolod Yaroslavich. He was baptized with the name Andrei.

In those same years, St. Andrew's Church was founded in Novgorod.

Peter I the Great in the 17th century established the main, highest order Russian Empire, named Andreevsky in honor of the First-Called Apostle. It was given as a reward only to the highest officials of the state and protected the queens. In modern Russia it was revived in 1998

Also, since the time of Emperor Peter the Great, the Russian fleet has had the St. Andrew's flag as its banner. To this day, the battle fleet goes to sea under the St. Andrew's flag. Many sailors and men of Russia bear the glorious name of the First-Called Apostle.

On May 27, 1703, creating the Northern capital of the Empire - St. Petersburg, Peter the Great placed a piece of the relics of the Apostle Andrew in the ark at the foundation of the Peter and Paul Fortress, also named in honor of the holy apostles, entrusting the new city to his intercession.

In Russia, revered relics are found in some churches.

In the main temple of the country - the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow - there is an ark with relics.

And the greatest shrine - the right hand, the hand to the elbow of the apostle, resides in the Epiphany Cathedral of Yelokhov. It was given by the Patriarch of Constantinople Parthenius back in 1644 as a gift to Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov as gratitude for his help: the tsar bought it from Turkish Sultan Orthodox monastery in Greek Thessalonica, destined for ruin. The hand of the apostle remained in the Moscow Kremlin, in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and after its transformation into a museum at Soviet power, in honor of the millennium of the Baptism of Rus', was transferred to the Church and left in the Yelokhovsky Cathedral.

The right hand is in silver ark, which is valuable in itself - it is more than two hundred years old. It is rare, but transported for worship to Orthodox churches Russia. It is interesting that previously only priests carried the shrine, clutching the ark to their chests. Since the 2000s, the reliquary has been placed in an additional heavy ark for preservation.

What do they pray to St. Andrew the First-Called?

Remember that you can pray in front of the icon of St. Andrew, like any saint, about anything. Treat the icon not as a talisman, but as a window to the Heavenly world.

Saint Andrew the First-Called is revered as the patron saint of people of all professions related to the sea, because before his apostleship he was a simple fisherman, and even after becoming a disciple of Christ he often caught fish for himself and others for food. In addition, before going to sea, naval personnel and their relatives often gather for a prayer service to St. Apostle Andrew and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for help in the campaign - this tradition was strictly observed by the Russian Empire; St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral was built especially for such prayers in Kronstadt, the base of the Baltic Fleet .

Apostle Andrew also patronizes girls and women seeking happy marriage; parents pray to the saint for their daughter’s chastity and her correct choice of groom.

The icon of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called also helps with prayer to the saint:

About understanding Orthodox faith and the conversion of your loved ones to the Church;

About security on the water, on a cruise, on a sea voyage;

About protecting the country and city from enemy attacks;

About assistance in translation activities and teaching languages - after all, the apostle, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, spoke all the languages of the world.

Feast of St. Andrew the First-Called

The days of remembrance of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called are December 13, July 13, the day of the Council of all twelve apostles, and June 20, the day of the discovery of the relics. On these days, during the Liturgy, special prayers are read to the Apostle and prayer services are performed.

First-called Apostle of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, follower of the Church, glorified by all Andrey! We glorify and magnify your apostolic works, we joyfully remember your blessed journey to us, to Russia, we glorify your honest sufferings that you endured for the sake of Christ, we kiss your holy relics, we honor your holy memory, we believe that the Lord is alive, and your soul is alive with Him yours, because you have been with him in all centuries and will be with him in Heaven, where you love us all with the same love, when by the grace of the Holy Spirit you hear our appeal to you and to the Lord, and not only do you love all people, but and pray to God for us, seeing all our needs in the light of His grace.
We believe in your help, and we confess our faith both in the temple, and before your holy icon, and before the holy relics resting in Russia; Believing, we pray and ask the Lord God Jesus Christ, our Savior, that through your prayers, which He always listens to and fulfills, He will give us everything we need to save us sinners. Just as you immediately left your nets at the call of the Lord and followed him, without leaving His path, so may each of us not worry about his own, but think about helping his neighbor and about life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Having you as an intercessor and prayer book for us, we believe that your prayer can help us a lot before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is glorified and honored always in the Holy Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Glorification - that is, glorification of the apostle in gratitude for his help:

We exalt you, Apostle of Christ Andrew, and honor your illnesses and labors with which you worked for the sake of bringing the good news of the teachings of Christ to people.

May the Lord protect you through the prayers of St. Andrew the Apostle!

Andrew the First-Called, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, brother of the Apostle Simon Peter, according to legend, preached the Gospel in Scythia, Asia Minor and Greece and was crucified in the city of Patras, on an oblique (St. Andrew's) cross.

The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was from Bethsaida of Galilee. He subsequently lived in Capernaum, on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, together with his brother Simon, fishing.

Andrey and his brother Simon-Peter are fishing

From a young age, Apostle Andrew was distinguished by his prayerful striving towards God. He did not marry, but became a disciple of the holy prophet John the Baptist, who announced the Incarnation. When Saint John the Baptist pointed to Jesus Christ on the Jordan River to the holy apostles Andrew and John the Theologian, calling Him the Lamb of God, they immediately followed the Lord.

Calling of the Apostles Andrew the First-Called and John the Theologian

The Holy Apostle Andrew became the first disciple of Christ and was the first to confess Him as the Savior (Messiah), bringing to Christ his elder brother Simon, the future Apostle Peter.

Drawing. Apostle Andrew the First-Called

After the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, which the holy Apostle Andrew also witnessed, he returned to Jerusalem. Here on the Day of Pentecost, together with the other apostles and Holy Mother of God, the Apostle Andrew was filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Lord Himself predicted.

Preaching the Word of God, the holy Apostle Andrew made several journeys, during which he returned to Jerusalem three times. He passed through Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, Scythia (the land on which Rus' was later formed), the Black Sea region (according to legend Georgian Church, Apostle Andrew preached together with Apostle Simon Canait in Abkhazia, where Apostle Simon suffered a martyr’s death). Up the Dnieper, the Apostle Andrew rose to the location of the future Kyiv, where, as the Monk Nestor the Chronicler narrates, he erected a cross on the Kyiv mountains, turning to his disciples with the words: “Do you see these mountains? The grace of God will shine on these mountains, there will be a great city, and God will build many churches.”

N. Lomtev. Apostle Andrew the First-Called erects a cross on the Kyiv mountains

Moving further north, the Apostle Andrew reached the Slavic settlements on the site of the future Novgorod and planted his staff near the present village of Gruzino. From here the Apostle Andrew passed through the lands of the Varangians (Finnish Valaam) to Rome and again returned to Thrace. Next, the holy Apostle went to the Greek city of Byzantium (the future Constantinople), where he founded the Christian Church, consecrating one of the seventy disciples of the Lord, Stachy, as a bishop.

The Apostle Andrew had the habit of placing large stone and iron crosses everywhere. He walked with a huge staff topped with a cross. He was modest and had few students. He did not preach to crowds of people, like Peter or Paul, but usually gathered a small company, as the elders do.

Sermon of St. Andrew the First-Called

He was a man who had seen a lot in his time. Traveled with northern reindeer herders, Huns, talked with Greek philosophers and Russian traders, was acquainted with Chinese officials, visited primitive tribes in northern Pakistan and the Berbers in the Sahara Desert.

On his way, the Apostle Andrew endured many sorrows from the pagans. He was beaten and expelled from cities. But the Lord protected his chosen one and, through his prayers, performed wondrous miracles.

The last city where the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called came and where he suffered a martyr’s death was the city of Patras (Patras). Here, through the prayer of the apostle, the seriously ill Sosius, a noble citizen, recovered. Maximilla, the wife of the ruler of Patras, and his brother, the philosopher Stratocles, were healed by the laying on of apostolic hands. This prompted the city residents to receive from the Apostle Andrew holy baptism, however, the ruler of the city, consul Egeat, remained an inveterate pagan. The holy apostle with love and humility appealed to his soul, trying to reveal to him the Christian mystery eternal life, the miraculous power of the Holy Cross of the Lord.

Apostle Andrew before the ruler of the city of Patras, consul Egeat

The angry Aegeates ordered the apostle to be crucified. Saint Andrew the First-Called joyfully accepted the ruler’s decision and went to the place of execution. To prolong the torment of the apostle, Egeat ordered not to nail his hands and feet to the cross, but to tie them. According to legend, the cross on which the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was crucified had the shape of the letter “X” and was named "St. Andrew's Cross".

Crucifixion of the Apostle Andrew on the cross

For two days the apostle taught from the cross to the townspeople gathered around. The people who listened to him sympathized with him with all their souls and demanded that the holy apostle be taken down from the cross. Frightened by popular outrage, Egeat ordered the execution to be stopped. But the holy apostle began to pray that the Lord would honor him with death on the cross. No matter how the soldiers tried to remove the Apostle Andrew, their hands did not obey them. The crucified apostle, giving praise to God, said: “ Lord Jesus Christ, accept my spirit" Then the bright radiance of Divine light sanctified the cross and the martyr crucified on it. When the radiance disappeared, the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called had already given up his soul to the Lord. Maximilla, the ruler's wife, took the apostle's body from the cross and buried him with honor. This happened around 62 AD.

Relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called

The relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called were originally located at the site of his martyrdom - in Patras (Greece).

In 357, on behalf of Emperor Constantius II, the relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (except for the venerable head) were solemnly transferred to Constantinople and placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles next to the relics of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke and the disciple of the Apostle Paul - Apostle Timothy.

After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders, in 1208, Cardinal Peter of Capua, confessor of the fourth crusade, took the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called to Italy and placed them in the cathedral church Amalfi towns where they are currently located. The relics are under the altar, and a separate reliquary contains part of the head of the holy apostle.

Cathedral of St. Andrew the Apostle in Amalfi

Interior of the cathedral

The relics of St. are kept in the crypt (the underground church of the cathedral). Apostle Andrew the First-Called

The remains of St. Apostle Andrew is kept under a marble sarcophagus, which is used as a throne

The remains of St. St. Andrew the Apostle is kept under a marble sarcophagus, which is used as a throne. On this altar, Mass (Catholic liturgy) is celebrated weekly and an Orthodox service is celebrated once a week.

Honest chapter And cross of St. Andrew the First-Called They remained in Patras for many centuries. In 1462, the Morean despot Thomas Palaiologos took the head and cross of the apostle from Patras, saving them from the Turks, and handed them over to Pope Pius II for safekeeping, who placed them in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Part of the chapter was placed along with the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called in Amalfi.

Reliquary with part of the head of St. Andrew the Apostle (Amalfi, Italy)

In 1964, Pope Paul VI decided to transfer the head of St. Andrew the First-Called and parts of the St. Andrew's cross to Greece Orthodox Church, and these relics were solemnly transferred to Patras.

Cathedral of St. Andrew the Apostle in Patras

The Ark with the Venerable Head and the cross of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the Cathedral of Patras - the largest temple in Greece

During the Napoleonic Wars, French soldiers tried to destroy the St. Andrew's Cross, which was then located in one of the monasteries near Naples, by setting it on fire. But one of the monks covered the cross with his body and saved the shrine at the cost of his life.

Part of the chapter is also in St. Andrew's Skete on Athos.

Reliquary with the frontal part of the head of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called (Athos)

In the Great Lavra of Athanasius stored hand of the apostle, A in the Panteleimon Monastery - foot.

Foot of Saint Andrew the Apostle

Few people know that the relics of the Apostle Andrew are myrrh-streaming, and wherever they are (in Patras or Amalfi) they stream myrrh very abundantly. Catholic priests open the relics and take myrrh 6 times a year, on the days of the saint’s memory.

In Amalfi, as well as in Bari, thanks to the favor of the Catholic authorities of Naples, Orthodox priest has the opportunity to serve the Divine Liturgy and prayer services for Orthodox pilgrims, because they especially reverence the Apostle Andrew, who was the first to bring the word of God to the Scythian lands, to the territory of the future Holy Rus'.

Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called

Troparion, tone 4:
As the first-called Apostles, and the supreme brother, the Lord of all, Andrew, pray to grant greater peace to the universe, and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion, voice 2:
Let us praise the courage of the namesake celebrant, and the church’s supreme successor, Peter’s relative, just as in ancient times, and now we cry: come, having found what you desire.

Saint Andrew the First-Called is the first of the apostles. You can find out more about this saint, see icons with his image and read his life in this article!

Today, December 13, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Day of Remembrance of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

APOSTLE ANDREW was from Galil e And. This northern part of the Holy Land was distinguished by its fertility and picturesqueness, and its inhabitants were good natured and hospitable. The Galileans easily got along with the Greeks who inhabited their country in large numbers; many spoke Greek and even bore Greek names. The name Andrey is Greek and means courageous.

When John the Baptist began to preach on the banks of the Jordan River A On, Andrei, together with John of Zebedee (who came from the same city as Bethsaida), followed the prophet, hoping to find an answer to his spiritual questions in his teaching. Many began to think that maybe John the Baptist was the expected Messiah, but he explained to people that he was not the Messiah, but was sent only to prepare the way for Him. At that time, the Lord Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist on the Jordan for baptism, and he, pointing to the Lord, said to his disciples: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

Hearing this, Andrew and John followed Jesus. The Lord, seeing them, asked: “What do you need?” They said: “Rabbi (Teacher), where do you live?” “Come and see,” Jesus answered, and from that time on they became His disciples. On the same day, the Apostle Andrew went to his brother Simon Peter and told him: “We have found the Messiah.” So Peter joined the disciples of Christ.

However, the apostles did not immediately devote themselves entirely to the apostolic title. From the Gospel we know that the brothers Andrew and Simon Peter and the brothers John and James had to return to their families for a while and take up their usual work - fishing. A few months later, the Lord, passing by Lake Galilee and seeing them fishing, said: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their boats and nets and from that day became constant disciples of Christ.

Andrew, who followed the Lord earlier than the other apostles, received the name First Call A new. He remained with Christ throughout the entire period of His public ministry. After the Resurrection of the Savior, Apostle Andrew, together with other disciples, was honored with meetings with Him and was present at Holy Oil O mountain, when the Lord, having blessed them, ascended to Heaven.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles cast lots as to who should go to which country to preach the Gospel. Saint Andrew received the countries lying along the Black Sea coast, the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula and Scythia, i.e. the land on which Russia was later formed. According to legend, the Apostle Andrew preached on the Tauride Peninsula, then climbed north along the Dnieper and reached the place where Kyiv subsequently arose.

“Believe me,” the apostle said to his disciples, “that the grace of God will shine on these mountains: a great city will be here, the Lord will enlighten this land with holy baptism and will erect many churches here.” Then the Apostle Andrew blessed the Kyiv mountains and erected a cross on one of them, foreshadowing the adoption of faith by the future inhabitants of Rus'.

Nikolay Lomtev. Apostle Andrew the First-Called erects a cross on the mountains

After returning to Greece, the Apostle Andrew stopped in the city of Patros, located near the Gulf of Corinth. Here, through the laying on of hands, he healed many people from illnesses, including the noble Maximilla, who believed in Christ with all her heart and became a disciple of the apostle. Since many residents of Patras believed in Christ, the local ruler Egeat was inflamed with hatred against the Apostle Andrew and sentenced him to crucifixion. The apostle, not at all afraid of the verdict, in an inspired sermon revealed to those gathered the spiritual power and significance of the Savior’s suffering on the cross.

Governor Egeat did not believe the apostle's preaching, calling his teaching madness. Then he ordered the apostle to be crucified so that he would suffer longer. Saint Andrew was tied to the cross in the shape of the letter X, without driving nails into his hands and feet, so as not to cause imminent death. The unjust sentence of Egeat caused indignation among the people, however, this sentence remained in force.

The Russian Church, having accepted the faith of Christ from Byzantium, whose bishops trace their succession to the Apostle Andrew, also considers itself his successor. That is why the memory of Saint Andrew the First-Called was so solemnly revered in pre-revolutionary Russia. Emperor Peter I established the first and highest order in honor of the Apostle Andrew, which was given as a reward to dignitaries of the state. Since the times of Peter the Great, the Russian fleet has made St. Andrew's flag its banner, a blue X-shaped cross on a white background, under the shadow of which the Russians won many victories.

Troparion

As the first-called apostles/ and the supreme brother,/ the Lord of all, Andrew, pray/ to grant peace to the universe// and great mercy to our souls.

Kontakion
Apostle Andrew the First-Called:

We will praise the courage of the same name as the eulogist of God/ and the Church of the supreme successor,/ Peter’s relative,/ before now, as in ancient times/ and now we have cried: come, thou who have found the Desired.

Prayer to Saint Andrew the First-Called

Akathist before the icons of St. Andrew the First-Called

Kontakion 1

Let us praise the first-called apostle of Christ, the holy preacher of the Gospel, the God-inspired enlightener of the Russian country, Andrew the Most Glorious, with songs, standing on the top of the hill, where his right hand raised the Cross, and to him, as the supreme follower of the Church, who has shown her the path to Christ, we cry out in tenderness: Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Ikos 1

You were the angel of the good news of the Lamb of Christ, who takes away the sins of the world, to Andrew the Apostle, and you remain with Him forever in Heaven; From there, look at the songs brought to you in your temple, in the place where your feet stand, and, as you are rich in the grace of God, give us a good word, so that we call to you: Rejoice, thou who shone forth unto us the star from the city of Bethsaida; Rejoice, equal brother of the Supreme Peter. Rejoice, disciple of the great Forerunner of Christ; Rejoice, first of all, the apostle, called to apostolic service by the Lord Himself. Rejoice, for you also cried out to others with joy: “Come, you have found the desired Messiah”; Rejoice, and lead us to Him. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 2

Teacher, where do you live? - You asked, Andrei, the Savior of our souls and, having spent one day with Him, you loved the Messiah you had found for all the days of your life, and you brought your oldest brother to Him. Likewise, we, like your least brothers, do not cease to be attracted to Him, and we, following in your footsteps, cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

Seeing in you, Saint Andrew, a flame of faith and love, the Lord again found you on the lake of Gennesaret, like a fisherman, together with your brother, sweeping deep waters, and he said to you: “He will come after Me, and I will make you a fisher of man.” You followed Him and with the inspired word of God, as if you caught people in the wild for Christ, with whom we caught you for salvation, we say to you: Rejoice, for you learned spiritual fishing from the Lord Himself; Rejoice, for on the same lake with the others the apostles were overwhelmed, and through faith you were saved in the Lord, who rebuked the wind and the sea. Rejoice, you who have acquired great faith, when you saw the wonderful feeding of five thousand with five loaves; Rejoice, having received the gift from the Lord to heal every ailment and every disease. Rejoice, for a voice from heaven was heard by the Greeks, who saw Christ by you; Rejoice, for there was a revelation on the Mount of Olives that will come to you at the end of the world. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 3

The Lady's wanderings and the Immortal Meal in the High Place of Zion, having enjoyed true friend Christ, together with the rest of the apostles, you saw the Lord and your God, from the Unworthy and you received the Holy Spirit, in order to bind and solve the sins of people. And again, in the same upper room of Zionstei, there was an abundant outpouring of the promised Spirit on you in fiery tongues. Moreover, all the tribes were amazed at how with their tongue you spoke of the greatness of God, singing: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

We receive the commandment from the Lord to preach the Gospel to all creation, which has flowed around many cities and countries, Apostle Andrew, calling people to the knowledge of the True God and baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; with them we too have been made worthy of the grace of Baptism. For this reason, let us sing a note of gratitude to you: Rejoice, faithful herald of Christ’s miracles; Rejoice, loud preacher of the Holy Gospel. Rejoice, idolatrous service to the consumer; Rejoice, planter of true piety. Rejoice, for according to your word people are reborn by water and the Spirit; Rejoice, for through you the faithful partake of the Immortal Meal. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 4

The power of God is upon you, First-Called Apostle, to proclaim the power and glory of the Son of God and to confirm all faith in the Holy Trinity for those called. Likewise, keep us, who worship the One God in the Three Hypostases, in the green pasture of the faith of Christ, so that we may be sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and sing with a loud voice to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 4

Having brought your brother Simon Peter, the First-Called, to Christ, you went with him to your apostolic ministry, first to Antioch and Sinope, there having defeated the demons of the regiment, you freed your companion Apostle Matthias from the prison bonds, and baptized those who were with him, to the Supreme Peter from there to the western countries flowing, you gave him a brotherly kiss, but you yourself labored well in the eastern workshop. Likewise, we, the people of the Eastern Church, bless you: Rejoice, power of God, driving away armies of demons and breaking the bonds of prisons; Rejoice, friend of the apostolic grace, secretly freeing us from the bonds of hell. Rejoice, West and East with your God-wise brother, preaching for the sake of the word of God, dividing by lot; Rejoice, in the city of Sinope you exposed the unbelief of the Jews by the power of your miracles. Rejoice, for there you were from the godless for Christ’s sake; Rejoice, for from the Lord who appeared to you the healing of ulcers was granted to you. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 5

Returning twice to the holy city, and together with the apostles celebrating the fiftieth day there, twice again you marched from holy Zion, to preach Christ to the whole world, first with John, the confidant of the Lord, then with Simon the Canaanite and Matthias, whose lot was destined to become an apostle, and the whole borders of Asia and Pontus flowed around you, announcing the word of salvation to everyone, so that they could sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

From the Sea of Galilee to the Euxine Apostolic Pontus, your spread out and all the seas around you, proclaiming your gospel, you have risen, O First-Called One, into the countries of Scythia, planting the Cross of Christ everywhere as a sign of our salvation. For this reason, we, even if we were born later, heeding your gospel and remembering your deeds, call to you: Rejoice, thou who tamed the fierce robbers in Nicaea and slain the fiercest dragon; Rejoice, the Cross of Christ has been erected in the midst of this city, as the Forerunner of the two-fold Father of the God-bearing ones gathered there. Rejoice, for in Asia and Pontus the light of Christ has risen by you; Rejoice, for your apostolic rod opened the foothills of the Caucasus to the light of Christ. Rejoice, for the darkness of the Cimmerians was illuminated; Rejoice, who gave the universe life to drink from streams of water. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 6

Possessed by a storm of passions and, like the waters of the ocean, troubled, the tribes of men, who do not know the True God, you led, apostle, to the quiet refuge of Christ and those hearts, like a fragile boat overwhelmed by unbelief, you established on the anchors of the Orthodox faith. In the same way, we, as children of the Orthodox faith, cry out to God with grateful hearts and grateful lips: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

On the Mount of Olives, sometimes you and the other apostles asked your Divine Teacher, Andrew: “Tell us, what is the sign of Your coming?” On the mountains of Kyiv, as an organ of the grace of the Holy Spirit, you foretold the coming glory of this place; We, who were ordained to be worthy of this mercy, tenderly cry out to you: Rejoice, for you brought us the law of the Gospel from Mount Zion; Rejoice, for through the waters of Voristhenes the apostle of God came to us. Rejoice, grace of the Jordan, for the sake of our Baptism, you bestowed this word; Rejoice, erected the Cross of our salvation on the Kyiv mountains. Rejoice, for the abundant outpouring of God’s grace was foretold here; Rejoice, for the existence of the city is great and many churches are to be heralded here. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 7

Today, in fulfillment of your prophetic voice, the glorious temple adorns itself in the place where you foresaw things that do not exist, as if they exist through the gift of the Holy Spirit; Around it, a great city with golden-domed churches testifies to the truth of your words, to which even to this day you, as if from the heights of the pulpit, have preached peace. Likewise, we, seeing the fulfillment of your God-inspired words, cry out to God with a great voice: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

From the luminous dawn, the First-Called Apostle, having received the light of divine knowledge, Saint Olga rose up to the Russian land as the star of our salvation, raising up after herself, like a luminous luminary, her grandson Vladimir, the enlightener of the entire midnight country. In the same way, we, having raised our eyes to you, Andrew the God-Wise, as to the initial harbinger of our salvation, let us write this praiseworthy: Rejoice, for the star of our salvation, Holy Olga, was granted the knowledge of the Divine light; Rejoice, for through her good faith the Kingdom of Christ has been opened. Rejoice, for through your blessing the glorious light has come to us from this day; Rejoice, for according to your apostolic foreshadowing, the prince equal to the apostles has appeared to us. Rejoice, for through you Saint Vladimir the kingdom of earth has joined the kingdom of heaven; Rejoice, for the Dnieper and Pochaina, the rivers of Kiev, were a saving font for us. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 8

The shepherds and flocks preach the memory of your deeds to the glorious city of Kyiv and the entire Russian country, O wise man Andrew the Apostle; in the depths of the caves, the incorruptible saints of God, with Anthony and Theodosius, with silent lips, as if they live, proclaim your glory throughout the century and generation, for by you the Cross erected here, like a blessed-leaved tree, will grow to bear us the fruits of piety and holiness. We of your paradise, like spiritual chicks, have taught us to sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

It was not just Rus' that was the herald of salvation, the First-Called Apostle of Christ, but also the entire Slovenian tribe, like the Kokosh, gathering its chicks under the wing, I brought you to Christ; You, from Chersonis into the darkness of the midnight country, despising the people there, so that the wise teachers, Cyril and Methodius, might learn the word of God, you have prepared your preaching for many centuries; We, like through the mouth of these enlighteners of ours, cry out loudly to you: Rejoice, blessed Slovenian tribe from time immemorial; Rejoice, thou madet wise by their word by the word of God. Rejoice, for the child of God was obedient to the word of the Church; Rejoice, for in Chersonis, where you preached, the first Russian writer, Saint Cyril, was found and received. Rejoice, for through these Alpha and Omega, the firstfruits and the end, you proclaimed the wisdom of Christ to them; Rejoice, for this teacher has translated all the inspired scriptures into the Slovenian language for us. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 9

Without fearing deserted Scythia, you extended your apostolic wanderings into the depths of the midnight country, O First-Called One, from there you came to ancient Rome, who then became the head of the pagan world; Otherwise, for the sake of idolatry, leave him for the sake of darkness, and came to the red shore of Vospor, there in the city of Byzantium, where the new Rome and Mother became a Christian, you established your apostolic throne. Yes, from him the entire East and North will be illuminated with the light of faith, and the faithful children of the Church of Christ unanimously call to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

Mother Zion - a man says psalmically, as if a person was spiritually born in it, a new Zion has become for us Kyiv: in it the light and grace of God appeared to all the sons of the Russians from the pulpit, which you, the First-Called Apostle, established in Byzantium. Likewise, we, illumined by the Everlasting Light, gratefully cry out to you: Rejoice, you who descended from Mount Zion and illuminated multi-hill Kyiv with the mountain light; Rejoice, you have sent down to this city abundant fruitfulness with your spiritual blessing. Rejoice, for thou hast established thy apostolic throne in the midst of the universe; Rejoice, for under its shadow (in new Rome) you have gathered all the languages enlightened by you. Rejoice, because Orthodoxy is established in their souls; Rejoice, for even the darkness of the West breaks away from the East. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 10

When the time of your repose came, blessed apostle, you came to the ancient Patras of Achaia, and there you were devoured, for you ended the course, you fought a good fight, preaching Christ crucified to everyone, a temptation to the Jews, and madness to the Greeks, but to us, who are called and saved, - Christ, God's Power and God's Wisdom, from the Unknown and learned to sing to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

Everywhere in the name of the Lord Jesus, you healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, and in Patras you confirmed your dying sermon with miracles, Apostle of Christ, and you turned the anthipate of the Blade to the knowledge of the truth, when you were struck by an ulcer for the sake of opposition, you were quickly raised from your sickbed; All the people, having seen the power of God in you, crushed their idols, therefore the Lord appeared to you, as Paul sometimes did in Corinth, and commanded you to take up your Cross, thereby marking your suffering in Patras, for His sake. In the same way, we, marveling at the great grace in you, reverently cry: Rejoice, great power of Almighty God; Rejoice, treasure of great price and wonders. Rejoice, enlightenment and decoration of ancient Patras; Rejoice, you who have changed the disbelief of the anfipat into faith. Rejoice, for there the Lord again appeared to you, calling you to the feat of the cross; Rejoice, for the crown of righteousness has been prepared for you. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 11

Nero the Caesar, like sometimes Herod, instigated persecution against all the faithful, in Rome I will behead Paul with the sword, and crucify Peter on the cross, likewise the tormenting hand reached you in Patras, when instead of the meek Blade you set up the cruel Egeatas as a judge, who did not tolerate the baptism of his brother, below, he was softened by the healing of his wife, cast into prison and, like the Supreme Peter, condemned to the cross. You, this prisoner, in a darker dungeon, as if in a bright temple, thou didst vouch for the Anthipatian brother Stratoklis as Bishop Patrom, singing to God with all the faithful in the midst of the prison: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

In the place of the forehead we erect a cross, having seen, on which you were crucified, you were not afraid, O apostle, even to death to testify to your beloved and beloved Christ, and stretching out your hand to this sign of salvation, you tenderly cried out: Rejoice, All-Honorable Cross, before him I stand with joy, knowing you, my hope; Rejoice, Life-Giving Cross, whose head has reached to Heaven, and crush the foot of the gates of hell. Rejoice, venerable Cross, accepted by my Master as the sweetest grape that has poured out salvation for us; Rejoice, blessed Cross, who saved the thief and bestowed upon him the fruits of confession. Rejoice, for you were the fulfillment of my joy; Rejoice in the same way, O passion-bearer, having sealed your faith in Christ on the Cross. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 12

Come, witness of my joy! - You appealed to the Apostle to the doer of the will of Egeata, - do your will over me, crucify me and, like a lamb, sacrifice me to the Creator who created me. And this river, you ascended to the cross, as if to a high pulpit, for three days and three nights you preached the word of God to the people standing around, so that they would not be afraid of death, confessing the Lord Jesus. When your face was illuminated with heavenly light, the tormentor was horrified and commanded to take you from the cross; Otherwise, you, the passion-bearer, did not want to be released from the torment of the cross, until your outcome you continually cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Glorifying your apostolic deeds, St. Andrew the First-Called, we bless your holy death, with which you glorified the Life-Giving Passion of the Son of God, and with the tenderness of our hearts we cry to you: Rejoice, friend of Christ, who with joy endured the suffering of the Cross for Him; Rejoice, faithful apostle, from the cross you preached the words of the Eternal Life to people. Rejoice, for at the hour of being taken down from the cross in autumn you are light, like lightning from heaven; Rejoice, for you have promised great grace to those who Orthodoxy confess the Christ you preached, the Son of God. Rejoice, apostolic foundation of the Mountain of Jerusalem; Rejoice, sitting with the apostles on one of the twelve thrones, to judge all the tribes of Israel. Rejoice, Andrew, First-Called Apostle of Christ.

Kontakion 13

O First-Called Apostle of Christ Andrew, look upon this blessing of all who honor your holy memory, and as you have erected the Tree of the Cross on the mountains of the city of Kyiv, ever overshadow us with this saving sign, so that, guarded by the Cross of the Lord God and our Savior, we will reach the measure of the age of fulfillment Christ and let us be worthy, with you and with all the saints, in a voice of joy, to sing to God our Savior forever and ever: Alleluia.

(This kontakion is read three times, then ikos 1 and kontakion 1)