St. Andrew the Apostle

The feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the 'First Called', is a Double feast of the Second Class. It was preceded yesterday by a Vigil, which because of Advent, was not part of the Office but just the celebration of Mass. According to St. John's Gospel St. Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, whose testimony first led him and St. John the Evangelist to follow Jesus. St. Andrew at once recognised Christ as the Messiah. St. Andrew preached the Gospel in Asia Minor and, according to Eusebius, as far as Kiev. St. Andrew is the patron saint of such diverse countries as Scotland and Russia. According to tradition he was crucified at Patras in Achaea. Devotion to St. Andrew was strong in the medieval period and many Western Kalendars such as the venerable Sarum Rite had an octave for the feast. In the Roman liturgy clearly St. Andrew was once regarded as more important than in modern times hence his inclusion in the Libera nos.

The liturgy of the day is festal and began with first Vespers of the feast yesterday afternoon. The antiphons Salve, crux pretiosa etc were sung with the psalms for the Common of Apostles. After the collect of the feast a commemoration was sung of the Advent feria. Compline was feastal and the preces were omitted.

At Mattins the antiphons are proper, Vidit Dominus etc. There are the usual three nocturns of nine lessons. At Lauds the antiphons sung at Vespers are sung with the Dominical psalms. A commemoration is sung of the Advent feria.

At the Horae Minores festal psalmody is sung. At Prime the lectio brevis is Isias enim dicit.

Mass is sung after Terce. The Gloria is sugn, the second collect is of the Advent feria (the collect Excita from Advent Sunday). The Creed is sung and the preface if of the Apostles.

At second Vespers a commemoration is sung of the Advent feria.

According to the 'liturgical books of 1962' St. Andrew's feast loses first Vespers. At Prime and the other Horae Minores ferial psalmody is sung, the lectio brevis is of the season.