The First Sunday in Advent is that Sunday closest to St. Andrew’s day (November 30). But who was St. Andrew? Even though he was one of the twelve apostles, he doesn’t seem very well known to us.
Pr. David Petersen writes in his sermon for this day in God With Us: “He was a fisherman, which is why they like him in Malta, and the brother of St. Peter, which is why they like him in Scotland. He was also something of a missionary, bringing Peter to Christ and bringing the Greeks to Christ.” Regarding the disciples, Petersen continues:
“Hearing John, they followed Jesus. By grace, they stayed with the Lamb. They stayed even unto their own martyrdoms, even if Andrew never gets much honor of his own. But such is the way of the Advent disciples of John. Such is the way of the kingdom: its honor belongs to Christ, even as does its righteousness, but both—the kingdom of Christ and His righteousness—are declared to belong to the saints.
“What Andrew gets, you get as well.
“Behold, the Lamb of God, the coming one, who has come into the world.”
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A blessed St. Andrew’s Day to you.
*God With Us is comprised of fifty-nine sermons, beginning with Thanksgiving and St. Andrew’s Day, then continuing on through Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany (including daily readings for all of Advent).