Who was St. Andrew?
St. Andrew was born in Bethsaida of Galilee. He was the brother of Simon Peter, and they were fishermen by trade.
From the Gospel according to John, we know Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, whose testimony first led him to follow Jesus. Quickly, Andrew recognized Jesus as the Messiah and hurried to introduce Him to his brother, Peter. From then on, they were both followers of Christ, and in one of the Bible’s most famous stories, they left everything behind Jesus when he said he would make them “fishers of men.”
When the apostles went forth to preach after Jesus’ death, Andrew played an important part, but we have no sure way of knowing exactly where he went. We do know that he preached extensively in Scythia and he was ordered crucified by Roman Governor Aegeas. He was bound, not nailed, to the cross in order to prolong his suffering. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's Cross, because Andrew said he was unworthy to die on a cross as Jesus had. His martyrdom took place on November 30, 60 A.D., during the reign of Nero. Today, both the Latin and Greek Churches keep November 30 as the Feast of St. Andrew.
But why is St. Andrew so connected to Scotland?
One explanation for why St. Andrew was chosen patron saint of Scotland is that the 7th century Bishop of Hexham, St. Wilfrid, brought some of the saint's relics back from a trip to Rome. They landed in the hands of the Scots’ King, Angus MacFergus, who installed them at St. Andrew's to enhance the prestige of the new bishopric.
There is also a legend that in 832 A.D., the Pictish King Angus and his army found themselves surrounded and outnumbered by their enemies, the Angles. He prayed for deliverance. That night, St. Andrew appeared to Angus and assured him of victory. The following morning, a white saltire appeared against the background of a blue sky. The Picts and Scots were heartened by this, but the Angles lost confidence and were defeated. This saltire design has been the Scottish flag ever since.
