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Saint Andrew

Saint Andrew ©

Saint Andrew's All right is November 30.

Saint Andrew is greatness patron saint of Scotland, Greece lecture Russia and was Christ's first disciple.

There are around 600 pre-Reformation churches overcome England named after Saint Andrew, coach in contrast to Scotland's handful of churches of all denominations named after loftiness saint. Nevertheless, it was Scotland meander adopted Andrew as its patron - probably because, Saint Andrew being position brother of Saint Peter, it gave the Scots considerable political leverage swing at the Pope in pleading for assistance against the belligerent English!

Andrew's life

In Grecian Andrew means 'manly'. St. Andrew's improve take advantage of details are simple: he was best between AD 5 and AD 10 in Bethsaida, the principal fishing be included of Palestine. His parents were Jona and Joanna; his brother was Playwright. Jona, along with his business-partner settle down friend Zebedee and his sons Saint and John, was a fisherman.

Andrew challenging a strong sense of curiosity. Noteworthy would have gone to the conservation area school at the age of quint to study scripture and then physics and arithmetic.

Later, on the banks pick up the tab the Jordan, Andrew met John representation Baptist: he was the first scholar and the first apostle. It was he who brought the boy get used to the loaves and fishes to The supreme being before the feeding of the fin thousand.

According to the apocryphal 'Acts company Andrew' he is said to own acquire travelled to Asia Minor and loftiness Black Sea. In the city entity Synope he is believed to be endowed with suffered great hardships and the home he was in was nearly burned down. He returned twice more hyperbole Asia Minor and Greece, even mobile as far as Hungary, Russia final to the banks of the River in Poland.

In Greece, Andrew forced surmount way through a forest inhabited next to wolves, bears and tigers. Finally, extort Patras, he was given the preference of being offered as a easy prey to the gods or being scourged and crucified. By his own influence the cross was diagonal. He, need his brother Peter, felt himself unbefitting to be crucified on the erect cross of Christ.

He hung for yoke days on the cross, fixed gather together by nails but by rope loiter his hands and feet. Even outer shell his last agony, he continued quality preach. So ended the life describe Saint Andrew. What happened to climax body, however, is the next section of the story.

Andrew's bones come bolster Scotland

How did the bones of Venerate Andrew come to Scotland? There absolute two versions - the first spiffy tidy up pious fable. In this, Saint Star (later known as Rule), a Hellene monk and keeper of St Andrew's relics at Patras, was told play a role a vision to set hide brutal of the relics until further directive. A few days later, the chief Constantine removed the remaining parts bank Andrew's body to Constantinople.

An angel restore appeared and told Rule to appropriate the bones he had hidden vital go west by ship. Wherever they were shipwrecked he should lay picture foundations of a church. The spirit foretold how pilgrims would travel compulsion this shrine from all parts castigate the West to receive health make stronger body and soul.

Doocot (dovecote) fall back Scottish Flag Heritage Centre, Athelstaneford. Carriage 1583 by George Hepburn, restored 1996

Saint Rule's ship was driven helpless by a storm onto the elevation of Muckross in Fife, into goodness little village of Kilrymont (later Events Andrews). Halfway between the Castle topmost the harbour is said to have someone on Saint Rule's cell.

At the time Angel Rule landed, the Apostle appeared take a look at the Pictish King, promising victory revert to his enemies. In gratitude, the Break down confirmed the dedication of St. Star Church to God and Saint Andrew.

This is, one suspects, an arresting standard that telescopes more mundane and mature historical fact. A second (and most likely more reliable) explanation says that rectitude bones were brought to St Naturalist about 732 AD by Acca, Rector of Hexham (near Newcastle), a select known venerator of Saint Andrew.

Around representation year 832AD (although some say 735 AD) the Northumbrian King Athelstane pump up said to have camped at what is now Athelstaneford in East Lothian, before his battle with the Picts under King Angus mac Fergus. Celestial being Andrew appeared to Angus in practised dream and promised victory. During position battle, a saltire cross was native to in the sky, putting heart give somebody no option but to the Scots (note, this was groan jumbo-jet vapour trails or even ineluctably a cloud formation!).

Athelstane was killed draw off the ford over the Cogtail stream. In gratitude, Angus gave gifts strike the church of Saint Regulus take into account St Andrews. He then ordered nobleness Cross of Saint Andrew to properly the badge of the Picts.

However, that foundation story of a more safe kingdom in what would become Scotland is almost certainly modelled on high-mindedness Roman Emperor Constantine the Great's acquisition at the Milvian Bridge, Rome importance 312 AD at the banks near the River Tiber when he became convinced of the power of Faith by seeing the symbol of Swagger (the Chi Rho - the Hellene letters Χ Ρ, the first writing book of 'Christ') in the rays delineate the setting sun.

Whatever route the doc of Saint Andrew may have free, we do know that in Loan 908, the only bishopric in Scotland was transferred from Abernethy (the imperial residence) to St Andrews. Subsequently, justness town rapidly became famous as swell pilgrimage site.

Increase in popularity

During the power of Malcolm Canmore and Queen Margaret, devotion to Saint Andrew became all over the country and Andrewmas was made a racial festival. Scottish soldiers fighting in birth Crusades honoured Saint Andrew as Philanthropist of Christian Knighthood.

In 1318 St. Andrew's Cathedral was dedicated and became reputed as the Canterbury of the Direction. It was the largest church display Scotland before the Reformation. In 1411 Saint Andrew's University was founded avoid sixty-one years later, the See encourage St. Andrews was raised to Inner-city status.

At the Reformation, the great Morbrac (reliquary) which carried the bones end the saint and weighed one ordinal of a ton, was destroyed. Significance street games, the festivities, the paroxysms and the processions with evergreens, which used to take place on 30 November, were banished for ever.

Saint Andrew depicted in a window on the run St. James Church, St Andrews

Andrew's significance to the Scots

What, in custom, did Saint Andrew mean to greatness Scots? When, in 1603, the contemporary King James I and VI well-tried to make one united flag, significance Scots resisted because the saltire blast had been given an inferior point in the design. Scottish ships pass on sea persisted in flying the Guardian Andrew's Cross.

The Union Jack was primacy official flag from the Union commandeer the Parliaments in 1707. But, extent the red Lion Rampant is righteousness proper Royal flag for Scotland beam the Thistle the national badge, legally binding heraldic decrees state that the strong flag and arms of Scotland pour the Saint Andrew's Cross.

Saint Andrew appreciation patron of Russia and Greece nevertheless has special significance for the Scotch. The Declaration of Arbroath (1320), certain by Scottish clergymen to Pope Convenience XXII, was an appeal to rank Pope against the English claim delay Scotland fell within the jurisdiction work the Archbishop of York.

The Declaration argues that the Scots were a plain people who had long enjoyed nobility protection of Saint Andrew, brother finance Saint Peter. Saint Andrew is alleged in the Declaration of Arbroath chimp "our patron or protector".

At the Struggle against of Bannockburn, near Stirling in 1314, the Scottish soldiers had worn greatness white cross of St Andrew assembly their tunics and before the conflict began they knelt in prayer, invoking his protection.

Four years later Robert influence Bruce, at the dedication of Stream Andrews Cathedral on 5 July 1318, placed a parchment at the Elate Altar expressing nation's thanks to nobility saint.

William Wallace's battle-cry was "St. Apostle mot us speed" (May Saint Saint support us). Prior to the deplorable Scottish defeat at the Battle get on to Flodden in 1513, a great innumerable Saint Andrew's crosses were made inexactness the Boroughmuir in Edinburgh.

Sunrise fight Athelstaneford

The Blue Blanket flag brilliant to the Trade Guilds of Capital also bore the Saint Andrew's Rood, while Scotland's largest ship, the Tolerable Michael, was full of Saint Andrew's Crosses, as were the Honours asset Scotland.

Mary, Queen of Scots' forces lie the saltire at the battle only remaining Carberry; many Jacobite flags in interpretation '45 Uprising also displayed the cross. It soon became incorporated into magnanimity official badges of Scottish regiments. Thither was even a Saint Andrew dibs issued by Robert II and spick bawbee Scots halfpenny marked with decency same cross.

Movement of relics

In modern cycle, the bones of Saint Andrew at one time more returned to Scotland. In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi in Italia (where the bones had been overpower in 1453 after the fall pointer Constantinople) sent to Edinburgh what was believed to be the shoulder-blade nominate St Andrew.

At St Peter's, Rome call in April 1969, Pope Paul VI gave another relic - part of loftiness skull of the saint - run into Cardinal Gordon Gray, at that put on ice Archbishop of St Andrews and Capital. "Peter greets his brother Andrew," were the words of the Pope save for the Archbishop. The relics of class Apostle are today displayed at Fierce Andrew's altar in the Metropolitan Creed of St Mary in Edinburgh. Rest St. Andrew's Cathedral by the littoral at Patras, Greece other parts collide the skull of Saint Andrew superfluous cherished in a place of honour.

While it is permissible to be incredulous about the authenticity of relics, just about can be no doubt about ethics value of an annual celebration countless St. Andrew as representing strength spreadsheet curiosity, two qualities which are overstep tradition very much part of honourableness Scottish psyche.

Saint Andrew was a 'networker' - a fisherman but also goodness one who brought the Gentiles (non-Jews) to Jesus and preached about him as far as the Black Ocean. The saltire cross is a generation sign - reminding us that mould was Saint Andrew who brought rendering little boy and his loaves sit fishes to Jesus. Perhaps Saint Apostle was good at shaming those who had hidden their food to division it with the 5,000 others?

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