Today the Catholic Church commemorates the feast of
Saint Andrew the Apostle. Martyred by crucifixion on X-shape cross called
saltire, now known as Saint Andrew’s Cross. Tradition says that he did not
deemed himself worthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus had.
In John 1:40 and Matthew 4:18 and in other texts, he
was always known as the brother of Peter. It was always Peter who was known, he
was the leader while Andrew was always on the supporting role. Every time he
was introduced, he was always presented as the brother of Peter. It seems like
he has no identity of himself and was always in the shadow of his more popular
brother. He might not resent it for how can you resent being associated to the
leader. Moreover Andrew was focused on the mission to even bother about pity
things such as being always associated to his brother. He was sure of himself
and confident of his role in the greater scheme of things. The gospel of John
1:35-42 tells us how Andrew was the first to have found the Messiah and introduced
his brother to Jesus.
Without Andrew, Peter could have not known
Christ and there could have no Peter in the Church. We could have a different
history of our church.
Remember Andrew every time you feel always being
compared to your siblings and every time you feel always living in the shadow
of your more popular brother or sister. Like him, let us be secure of our place
in the greater scheme of things, confident of our role and assured of who we are
in the eyes of God. Peter is Peter partly because of Andrew and so are our brothers
or sisters who shadowed over us could not have achieved more without their
siblings.
by aats