November 30th
is the Feast Day of St. Andrew the Holy Apostle, the celebration of his
martyrdom on his famous X-shaped cross.
This is a major
festival
in Patras, Greece, the city in which he was martyred:
Patras, Greece, home to the
cross upon which the First-Called Apostle St. Andrew was crucified, festively
celebrated its patron saint yesterday and today.
The feast began last night with
Great Vespers at the Church of St. Andrew. The service was presided over by
Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida, with the concelebration of another eight
hierarchs of the Greek Church, including the local hierarch Metropolitan
Chrysostomos of Patras, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency.
The church was filled with
Orthodox faithful from Patras and throughout Greece who came to venerate St.
Andrew’s Cross and the portion of his relics housed at the cathedral.
The All-Night Vigil was
celebrated later that evening.
This morning, a number of
hierarchs again gathered for the celebration of Orthros and the Divine Liturgy
in honor of St. Andrew. Orthros was presided over by Metropolitan Theoklitos of
Ierissos, Mt. Athos, and Ardameri. The Liturgy was then led by Metroplitan
Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos and Agios Vlasios.
Hundreds of Orthodox faithful
again filled the church.
Metropolitan Chrysostomos of
Messinia delivered homily sermon, in which, among other things, he referred to
the personality and contribution of the Apostle Andrew, who resisted the idols
promoted by his era, to spread the Gospel of Christ. In particular, His
Eminence spoke about the present times and the trap of false idols that are
presented, and about the dangers arising from the false family models that are
advanced today. “We haven’t realized the negative consequences. When we do, it
may be too late to reverse any possibility of change,” he said. . . .
With this in
mind, the South needs to ask herself why she does not also celebrate this day
with fervor? After all, St. Andrew’s
Cross adorns the Southern flag, and under that banner, during the War, Dixie
experienced some of the greatest moments of her history.
If we want
Dixie to be a Christian land in the widest, broadest, deepest sense possible,
we have to give attention to the calendar, sanctifying time once again, and to
public celebrations of holy days – the 12 Great
Feasts,
saints’ days, etc. Christianity was
never meant to be a religion for isolated individuals, and Southerners should
do everything we can to avoid that trap which is even now sapping strength from
the Church. We will either live the
Christian Faith together or watch it fall apart before our eyes.
. . .
The rest is at https://identitydixie.com/2023/12/05/whither-st-andrews-day-in-dixie/.
--
Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us
sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!
Anathema to the Union!
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