November 30, 2017

An Annual Miracle at the Tomb of the Apostle Andrew from the Sixth Century


Saint Gregory of Tours, in his late-6th century book titled Glory of the Martyrs (ch. 30), records the following annual miracle that was done at the tomb of the Apostle Andrew in Patras, Greece:

"On the day of his festival the Apostle Andrew works a great miracle, that is, [by producing both] manna with the appearance of flour and oil with the fragrance of nectar which overflows from his tomb. In this way the fertility of the coming year is revealed. If only a little oil flows, the land will produce few crops; but if the oil was plentiful, it signifies that the fields will produce many crops. For they say that in some years so much oil gushed from his tomb that a torrent flowed into the middle of the church. These events happened in the province of Achaea, in the city of Patras, where the blessed apostle and martyr was crucified for the name of the Redeemer and ended his present life with a glorious death. But when the oil flows, it gives off such a strong fragrance to noses that you might think a collection of many different spices had been sprinkled there. A miracle and a blessing for the people accompany this. For salves and potions are made from this oil; once used, they offer great relief to people who are sick. After the glorious reception of Andrew [in Paradise] many miracles are said to have been revealed either at his tomb or in various places where his relics are located."