November 30

Saint Andrew, Apostle

Saint Andrew was the brother of Saint Peter and is considered the first Apostle to be called and is given the title Protoclete. After Andrew's call, he went and preached the Good News to his brother, Peter. There is little specifically known about the life of Andrew other than the fact that he was one of the twelve apostles and preached the Resurrection after Jesus ascended into heaven.
In the Gospel of Saint John, Andrew is portrayed as a disciple of Saint John the Baptist before he is called to be one of Christ's apostles. The call of Andrew is told several different ways. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus approaches Andrew and Peter and calls them to be fishers of men. In the Gospel of John, Andrew and another disciple follow Jesus to find out if he is the true Messiah, and when they catch up with Jesus, they are invited to join Him.
After the Ascension of Jesus, Andrew evangelized in Greece and Turkey. He was martyred on a cross-shaped like an "x" near the city of Petras in Greece. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, of the Greek Church and of fishermen.

Protoclete is derived from two Greek words meaning first and called. It literally means first called and is applied to Saint Andrew because he is considered to be the first one of the Apostles to be called by Jesus.