St. Andrew's Day (Repost from 2011)

Happy Patronal Feast to my Scottish and Russian friends, and of course, to me!  (It's my confirmation name, and I wasn't named after David of Wales so March 1 doesn't count.)  As a Christian, a Scot, and a Russophile, I wear a dual crucifix on a daily basis, the front side of which is the Romanov eagle with superimposed crucifix, the back is St. Andrew crucified on the X cross.

In looking for media for today I came across two pictures.  One is the Cathedral of St. Andrew in St. Petersburg, Russia, the other St. Andrew's from St. Andrew's, Scotland.  Guess which one is functioning today.

Interestingly, the Russian cathedral was severely damaged during the Soviet Era. In the 1920's protesters trying to save the icons clashed with Bolsheviks. It was closed in 1938 and the dome was used as an anti-aircraft emplacement during the 900 day siege.  The guns were actually placed under the dome where the altar would have been.  It was even rumored to be the storage locker for the Department of Anthropology for the University.  The cathedral was returned to the Church in 1992.  Today it is a thriving place of worship, and I had the honor of worshipping there in 2005.

The picture below is of St. Andrew's, Scotland which was "cleansed" in 1559 during John Knox's reformation and abandoned for a small parish church in 1561. 

Russia, former member of the USSR abandons secular materialism and is in the midst of religious revival.  Scotland, my land, in the midst of a secular materialist revival. Irony?


The Collect for St. Andrew's Day:

Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give us, who are called by your holy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.