Andrew of Salos

Description

The life of Saint Andrew was compiled by the elder Nikephoros of Saint Sophia of Constantinople, around the middle of the 10th century AD. (956 – 959 AD), during the reign of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. Agios Andreas, the saint of Christ, came from Scythia and lived during the time of the emperor Leo VI the Wise (886 – 912 AD).From childhood he had been sold as a slave to a pioneer and soldier of the East, named Theognostus, a virtuous and pious man, who so loved little Andreas that he treated him as his own son, taking care of his diligent and godly education. Andreas was attracted more than any other by the holy letters and especially the Lives and Martyrdoms of the fighters of the Christian faith.Such was his zeal for them, that he was called “salos” (baby), because his zeal often pushed him to endure taunts, humiliations and heavy insults and to take steps that are judged as unbalanced and eccentric. But he endured the humiliations, comforted by the fact that he often succeeded in bringing back to the right path misguided beings.
But Saint Andreas was also distinguished for his charity and benevolence. Not only did he share his possessions with the poor, he offered what he had and he himself fasted and was naked. to those who observed him for his excessive benefactions, he reminded the words of the Lord “If you have affected one of the least of these brothers of mine, you have also affected me”, and he told them that in the face of every person, and indeed of the suffering brother, he saw Christ.
The Saint, during an overnight service in the church of Blacherna, saw the Virgin Mary in heaven praying and thinking of the people with her honest shoulder (October 1 and 28).
One day something paradoxical happened to the healer of the Lord. According to his habit, so that no one would know his work in the antechambers of the churches, where he prayed, he would secretly walk towards the temple of Panymnetos Theotokos, in the left portico of the market of Constantine the Great. It happened, then, that a child was crossing the avenue, carrying out his master’s order.The Blessed One was going to the temple to pray; the child quickened his step and overtook him, without the Blessed One realizing it. When Andreas arrived at the gates of the temple, God willing, he stretched out his right hand and after sealing the gates with the sign of the Holy Cross, they immediately retreated. He entered the temple and began the prayers, unaware that someone was watching him.The child, who followed Osios, knew that the man was a mess. When he saw him automatically opening the gates of the temple, he shuddered and was overcome with terror, so he said to himself: “What servant of God do the children really call sallow! How great a saint he is, and we fools are ignorant! How many hidden servants God has and no one knows about them!
This was what the child was thinking and he approached to find out what the Saint was doing inside the temple; therefore, he saw him in front of the pulpit hanging in the air and praying. He was amazed by this paradoxical sight and left to carry out his master’s order. The Saint finished his prayer and left. Leaving the temple, he again secured the doors with the sign of the Cross.Then he perceived the presence of the child and was saddened, because some beggar became a spectator of the events; he awaited the return of the child, in order to order him not to reveal the matter of the Blessed One. He met the child and said: “Keep, child, all that you saw in this place and you will have the mercy of the Lord God.”
One day, towards the end of holy Pentecost, the people of the reigning city, Constantinople, cheered the Despot Christ with chants and hymns. He then sees blessed Andreas, an old man, handsome in outward appearance, entering the temple of the God of Wisdom. A crowd of people followed him, with chants and crosses, which shone like lightning; they sang a sad, comforting and saving organ.One gave the other the lead and all headed for the pulpit. That old man possessed a kinyra and played the strings accompanying the singers. The blessed one was moved by the sight and the chanting; he cried and said: “Remember, Lord, David and all his meekness. Behold, we heard the Lady the Ambassador and we found her similar to Sophia the Terpni”.
This is what the Saint said. Some of the sages present were saying: “How, halle? Does this verse of the psalm refer to the Virgin Mary? What are these things you say?’ and because of their ignorance they laughed and departed. The blessed one was saying these things because he saw David and other Prophets having come there.This is how Saint Andreas lived theophilously through Christ and slept in peace at the age of sixty-six. Immediately they scented myrrh and incense in that place, where the Saint left his spirit. A poor woman who lived nearby smelled the sleepy and incomparable fragrance. therefore, she followed her and reached the place where the Saint lay. He found the blessed one dead; already no myrrh was emanating from his honest remains.So she ran and announced the miracle, calling God as her witness with an oath. Many gathered then, but did not find the holy relic of the Saint. They were astonished, however, by the fragrance of myrrh and incense. The Lord, Who knows the sins of each one and the secret exploits of the Saint, transferred the Saint’s relic.
St. Nicodemus the Saint mentions that St. Andreas wrote many prophecies which were never published and are found in the Monastery of Iberon.