St Andrew

I am either currently trying to entertain myself at the airport, a.k.a people watching or reading whichever is more interesting today, or I am in flight to Florida. I will be praying the St Andrew Novena multiple times during this hours long ordeal which is great since the St Andrew Novena is prayed 15 times a day from his feast day (Nov 30) until Christmas Eve (some sources say till Christmas).

Who is St Andrew? St Andrew is the first apostle, he started following Jesus after John the Baptist declared "Behold the Lamb of God". He also introduced his brother Simon Peter to Jesus by announcing "We have found the Messiah". Did you catch that Andrew was the brother of the first Pope.

Andrew was a fisherman, like his brother and he went back to fishing after first meeting Jesus until they were called to be fishers of men. The Greeks refer to him as Protoclete  meaning First Called.

St Andrew went to Greece to preach the Gospel after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. He was crucified on a decussate (X-shaped) cross, where he is said to have suffered for two days still preaching the Gospel to those who gathered. He is the patron saint of Russia and Scotland.

St Andrew is also the patron saint of marriage and fertility (did not know this until this year).

The St Andrew Christmas Novena

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires (Mention your intentions here), through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

This my second year praying this novena.