Mt 4:18-22
18As [Jesus] was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20At once they left their nets and followed him. 21He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, 22and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.
ANDREW: This apostle from Bethsaida is one of the first four to be called by the Lord; he is the brother of Simon Peter. Like Simon, he was a fisherman. The Gospel of John indicates that he was first a disciple of John the Baptist (Jn 1:35-51). After John the Baptist introduced him and another disciple to Jesus, he left the Baptist and followed Jesus. Struck by what he initially experienced as a disciple of Jesus, he brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Today’s Gospel reading presents Andrew and his brother Simon as first to be called by Jesus, as they fish in the Sea of Galilee. In the list of the Twelve, Andrew’s name is always placed on the fourth, that is, next to that of Peter, James, and John (Mk 3:18; Mt 10:2; Lk 6:14; Acts 1:13). In some instances, his name also appears with that of Philip (Jn 6:1-9; 12:20-23).
Literally, Andrew means “manly.” During the three-year ministry of Jesus, this apostle proved himself to be such: a silent disciple when compared to his brother Simon Peter, but a determined one. He had his own way of relating with Jesus. He was the one who asked the Master privately about the destruction of the temple (Mk 13:3-4). While Philip initially talked with the Greeks who wanted to meet Jesus, it was with Andrew that Philip finally approached Jesus to let him know about these men (Jn 12:20-22). In the story of the multiplication of the bread, while Philip was explaining to Jesus about the great cost of feeding the crowd, Andrew spoke to Jesus about the boy who had five barley loaves and two fish (Jn 6:1-10).
The traditions about Andrew are various. It is said that he preached the Good News of Jesus in Scythia, in Greece, in Asia Minor, and Thrace. He is said to have made his last “manly” witness to Jesus when he was martyred by being crucified on an X-shaped cross at Patrae in Achaia.