ST ANDREW APOSTLE; FEAST DAY 30th NOVEMBER
ST ANDREW APOSTLE
FEAST DAY 30th NOVEMBER
The Gospel for today (Mt 4:18-20) names St Andrew as the brother of Simon:
18. And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers).
19. And He saith to them: Come ye after me and I will make you to be fishers of men.
20. And they immediately leaving their nets, followed Him.
See further, Mark 1:16-18. These Gospels, in their version of this initial calling speak of a depth of faith based upon the mere calling by Jesus, whereupon the Apostles left their previous lives and devoted themselves to Christ in the complete manner of discipleship in the ancient Jewish tradition, where those who followed the Rabbi memorized his teachings and completely subjugated their lives to following his word. The Gospel of Luke does not name St Andrew, but intimates the presence of others at the same incident. The context of the calling (after a miracle), in Luke's version, provides the reason for the complete dedication of their lives to Christ from that moment forward:
Luke 5:
1. And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, He stood by the Lake of Genesareth.
2.And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets.
3 And going into one of the ships that was Simon’s, He desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting He taught the multitudes out of the ship.
4. Now when He had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5. And Simon answering said to Him: Master, we have labored all the night, and taken nothing but at Thy word I will let down the net.
6. And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.
7. And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.
8. Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying: Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9. For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.
10. And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: From henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11. And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed Him.
Andrew the Apostle was born in Bethsaida, Galilee in about 5- 10AD, the son of Jonah (John) and, as the Gospel of Matthew says, the brother of Simon. In contrast to the version of the Gospel above, the Gospel of John, like all good witness statements, differs from the other two accounts, providing that Andrew followed Christ after seeing Him in the presence of John the Baptist:
John 1:
40. And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard of John, and followed him.
41. He findeth first his brother Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42. And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus, looking upon him said: Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.
St Andrew was martyred by crucifixion in 60 AD. Tradition has it that he was crucified on a cross of the Crux decussate, (saltire, or x-shaped cross – called a “Saint Andrew’s cross”) because he did not consider himself worthy to be crucified in the manner of Christ.
Relics of St Andrew, including the cross on which he was martyred, are kept in the Church of St Andrew at Patras, in Greece and are revered on his feast day each 30 November.
CHRISTMAS NOVENA (KNOWN AS THE ST ANDREW'S NOVENA):
Beginning on St. Andrew's feast day, November 30, the following prayer is traditionally recited fifteen times a day until Christmas, (25 days - so I can't see why it is a novena, but there you go...). This is a very meditative prayer that helps us increase our awareness of the real focus of Christmas, assisting us to prepare ourselves spiritually for His coming.
'Hail and blessed be the hour and moment In which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Jesus Christ and His blessed Mother. Amen.
[here mention your request]'"
Michael Augustine, Archbishop of York
Imprimatur
6th February, 1897,
FEAST DAY FOODS:
St Andrew is the patron saint of both Scotland and Greece. Research into the traditional food of Scotland for the feast of St Andrew has revealed this menu;
Traditional Scottish Cullen Skink
Scottish Smoked Haddock Bake
Vegetarian Haggis with whisky glazed turnip pearl straw potatoes with chive and malt cream sauce
Spiced winter fruit served with creamed vanilla rice pudding....(1)
So, I have reproduced below, (with some minor changes), a Greek/Scottish recipe that is not quite so authentic;
[The site, "Hand Picked Greece", is at this link;
CRETAN BOUREKI
Boureki
A Cretan classic originating in the town of Chania. In Northern Greece as well as the balkans Boureki refers to something wrapped in filo pastry. In Crete however, boureki refers to a short crust pastry pie with layers of courgettes, (marrow or pumkin), potatoes and cheese with hints of mint. The cheese used is a local type, hard to find elsewhere, mizithra. ..... As an alternative, a mixture of feta cheese and ricotta may be used –
Boureki tastes great at room temperature and can even be served the next day. It may be served as an appetiser or as part of the main meal.
Ingredients
(Serves 8-10)
For the pastry: Prepare two thick pastry sheets one for the top one for the bottom of the bake
500 gm plain flour
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
1 shot of raki (Cretan spirit) can substitute with vodka
1 cup of lukewarm water or as much as the dough needs
For the filling
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
2 cups of ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour
2 cups of crumbled Feta cheese
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped mint (2 Tbsp. of dried)
Approx. 6 medium sized potatoes
Approx. 6 long slender zucchinis/courgettes (may substitute with marrow or pumpkin)
3-4 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 egg
Boureki
Preparation
For the pastry: In a mixing bowl add the flour, beaten egg, olive oil, the raki and some of the water. Start mixing and slowly add the remaining water as long as the pastry requires more. Mix until smooth and uniform. With the kneading and the folding around the pastry will start to form and thicken, keep kneading and folding continuously until you are left with a soft, smooth elastic dough. Cover with a clean towel and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180oC
When the filling is prepared roll out two sheets of pastry in a flat surface.
For the filling:
Use a mandolin and cut the potatoes and zucchinis (or pumpkin) in thin slices. Place in a mixing bowl and add the salt.
Grease a 12”x 9” deep rectangular baking dish with extra virgin olive oil and place one sheet of pastry.
Start placing a layer of slightly overlapping slices at the bottom of the dish. Mix the cheese, milk, olive oil, salt and pepper into a smooth mixture and pour some of it over the layer of vegetables. Start assembling the boureki by alternating layers of veggies and pouring the cheese mixture over until the dish is full. Once each layer is done sprinkle some mint before you prepare the next one.
At the top place the second pastry sheet, brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 40 min at 180oC, or until golden and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Allow to cool at room temperature before serving. Try it before you decide if it’s baked or not. The vegetables need to be soft and most of the liquid should have been absorbed. If necessary bake for longer.
Wine selection: a dry white, xerolithia, malagouzia or vidiano varieties (Greek), or a bottle of Chablis or Sancerre, for easier to find French options.
LAMB WITH HONEY AND SAGE
A Cretan dish originating from the times of the Minoan civilisation (circa 3650 – 1450 BCE).
Ingredients
(serves 4 – 6 people)
1 kg of lamb (young)
1 large onion
1 cup of olive oil
1 ½ cup of red wine
Whole shallots (optional)
Two pieces of orange peel
1-2 bay leaf
Small piece of cinnamon stick
3 – 4 Tbsps. of Greek thyme honey (possibly a bit more)
5 – 6 sage leaves
Salt and pepper
Preparation
This dish is cooked on the stove. Add the olive oil in a large relatively shallow casserole, place the pieces of meat and cook until golden brown along with the chopped onion. Add the bay leaf, orange peel, cinnamon, whole shallots, salt and pepper and cook for a further 2-3 min. Add the wine and lower the temperature, add a half a cup of water (if needed add more later on), cover and let it shimmer/cook slowly for about 45 min. When the meat has cooked about half way add the honey and the sage. Simmer until the sauce thickens. If needed, add a bit of corn flour in the end to thicken the sauce further.
Serve with glazed or roast vegetables drizzled with olive oil....
Wine: A light smooth medium dry red to match the honey in the main dish – usually varieties such as zinfandel, merlot, grenache, lambrusco, kotsifali.
Scottish Cranachan with a Greek twist
Cranachan
Ingredients
(serves 6)
110g rolled oats or pinhead oatmeal
280ml double cream
300g Greek yogurt
6 tbsp Greek Thyme honey
6 tbsp malt Scottish whisky
1 bag frozen raspberries, defrosted
Fresh berries – whatever is in season
Preparation
Place the oats in a large frying pan and cook over a medium high heat, stirring constantly, for 5-8 minutes until they turn brown and smell toasty. We added a bit of demerara sugar and gave it a bit of a sweet crunch.
Tip on to a plate to cool.
Whip the double cream until stiff peaks are formed.
Mix 5 tbsp honey and all the whisky.
Crush the raspberries with a fork into a mush.
Layer the cream, yogurt, oats and raspberry mush in six glasses, alternating with the whisky and honey sauce, finishing with a dribble of honey, some oats and a few of the berries.
Eat immediately or keep in the fridge.
Image: The Calling of St Peter and Andrew by Carravagio.
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