STORIES OF THE SAINTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 4, 3 September 1943, Page 6

STORIES OF THE SAINTS

ST. ANDREW, PATRON SA.IXT OF SCOTLAND Saint Andrew, the 'Patron Saint of Scotland, was the first of the twelve Apostles to be called by our Lord. He belonged to the town of Bethsaida in Galilee and Avas the brother of St. Peter. After he had meL .Jesus he at once brought his brother to Mini, telling him. "We have found the Messiah." St. Andrew is not Aery often mentioned iii the Gospels, and if seems he was not one of the innermost Circle of the Apostles as St. Peter Avas. At the miracle of the feeding of the live thousand it was he. who told our Lord of the lad Avith the barley :loaves and the fishes. What happened, to St. Andrew after our Lord's Ascension is doubtful. He may have gone to convert a barbarous race called Scythians, living in Asia. According to one story, however, he went to Patras, in Achaia where he made many converts, including the wife of the Koman governor. The governor, in his linger, ordered that. Andrew should be scourged and crue'ified. He was bound to a cross, not nailed, in order that his .sufferings might be longer, and this kind of cross, shaped like rtn X, is still called ''St. Andrew's j Oit'u^ Andrew is said to have I "preached froiii litis cross io twenty thousand men, and lingered lor two days before he died. His body was removed to Constantinople, and later to Jtoine. St. AN ilfrid. or his friend. Acca. brought a portion of the relics to Hexham, in Northumberland, and later they found their way to Scotland. and were deposited at a spot afterwards known as. St. Andrews. From this came about the adoption of St. Andrew as the Patron Saint of Scotland.