Saints · Ages 5-8 · 25 pages

Saint Andrew: The First to Follow

by Kyle Hancock

“We have found the Messiah” — and the very first thing Andrew did was run to find his brother. Andrew was a fisherman from Bethsaida, on the Sea of Galilee, and he was always looking for something more. He became a follower of John the Baptist, and one day, when John saw Jesus walk by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” Andrew and his friend followed Jesus down the road. Jesus turned around and asked them, “What are you looking for?” — and then, “Come, and you will see.” They stayed with Him the rest of that day, and Andrew knew: this was the One they had been waiting for. So Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus — the brother Jesus would one day call Peter, the Rock. Later, by the lake, Jesus called the two brothers to follow Him, and at once they left their nets. Andrew was always bringing people to Jesus. When a huge crowd was hungry, he found a boy with five barley loaves and two fish, and Jesus fed them all. When some Greek visitors wanted to see Jesus, Andrew brought them too. Saint Andrew: The First to Follow tells his true story in warm watercolor illustrations and simple read-aloud words — from the banks of the Jordan to Greece and the cold lands beyond the Black Sea, where, as Christians have always told, he carried the good news, and to Patras, where he gave his life for Jesus. Today he is the patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia. Peter preached to thousands; Andrew brought people to Jesus one at a time. Both are saints — and Jesus has a job for every child, too. Written for ages 4 to 8 — a read-aloud for the youngest, and a first saint story for children who are starting to read on their own. Inside you’ll find a Scripture page from the Gospel of Mark (“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”); the true story told in short lines little ones can follow; A Note for Families about who Andrew was, the words of John the Baptist the priest says at every Mass as he holds up the Host, the loaves and fish as a picture of the Eucharist, and how gently the book tells of Andrew’s death; a prayer to pray together, asking to bring our family and friends to Jesus; Talk About It Together, questions for after the story; and a page about his life for the grown-up reading aloud, with what the Bible tells us and what Christians have handed down. Feast day: November 30, and Advent begins on the Sunday nearest it.