Lazarus of four days, friend of God, Bishop of Kita. Saint Lazarus. History Did you know that Lazarus became a bishop

The resurrection of Lazarus is the greatest sign, a prototype of the General Resurrection promised by the Lord. The figure of the resurrected Lazarus remains, as it were, in the shadow of this event, and yet he was one of the first Christian bishops. How did his life develop after returning from the captivity of death? Where is his grave and are his relics preserved? Why does Christ call him a friend, and how did it happen that the crowds of witnesses to the resurrection of this man not only did not believe, but reported Christ to the Pharisees? Consider these and other points related to the amazing gospel miracle.
Resurrection of Lazarus. Giotto.1304-1306

Did you know that many people attended Lazar's funeral?

Unlike the hero of the same name from the parable “About the rich man and Lazarus”, the righteous Lazarus from Bethany was a real person and, moreover, not poor. Judging by the fact that he had servants (John 11: 3), his sister anointed the Savior's feet with expensive oil (John 12: 3), after the death of Lazarus they put him in a separate tomb, and many Jews mourned him (John 11: 3). 31, 33), Lazarus was probably a wealthy and famous man.

Due to their nobility, the Lazarus family apparently enjoyed special love and respect among people, since many of the Jews who lived in Jerusalem came to the sisters orphaned after the death of their brother to mourn their grief. The holy city was fifteen stages from Bethany (John 11:18), about three kilometers.

“The marvelous Catcher of men chose the recalcitrant Jews as eyewitnesses of the miracle, and they themselves showed the coffin of the deceased, rolled away the stone from the entrance to the cave, breathed in the stench of the decaying body. With their own ears they heard the call to the dead man to rise, with their own eyes they saw his first steps after the resurrection, with their own hands they untied the funeral shrouds, making sure that it was not a ghost. So, did all the Jews believe in Christ? Not at all. But they went to the rulers, and “from that day on they decided to kill Jesus” (John 11:53). Thus, the correctness of the Lord, who spoke through the mouth of Abraham in the parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus, was confirmed: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, then if someone rises from the dead, they will not believe” (Luke 16: 31).

Saint Amphilochius of Iconium

After the murder of the First Martyr Stephen, Lazarus was put into a boat without oars and sent to sea.

Did you know that Lazarus became a bishop?

Subjected to mortal danger, after the murder of the holy Protomartyr Stephen, Saint Lazarus was taken to the coast of the sea, put into a boat without oars, and removed from Judea. By divine will, Lazarus together with the disciple of the Lord Maximinus and Saint Celidonius (blind, healed by the Lord) sailed to the coast of Cyprus. Being thirty years old before the resurrection, he lived on the island for more than thirty years. Here Lazar met the apostles Paul and Barnabas. By them he was elevated to the bishopric of the city of Kitia (Kition, the Jews called Khetim). The ruins of the ancient city of Kition were discovered during archaeological excavations and are available for inspection (from the life of Lazar the Four Days).

Tradition says that after the resurrection, Lazar kept strict abstinence, and that the Blessed Mother of God gave him the episcopal omophorion, having made him with Her own hands. (Synaxar).

“Indeed, the unbelief of the chiefs of the Jewish and more influential teachers of Jerusalem, which did not yield to such a striking, obvious miracle, performed in front of a whole crowd of people, is an amazing phenomenon in the history of mankind; from that time on, it ceased to be unbelief, but became a conscious opposition to the obvious truth (“now you have seen and hated me and my Father” (John 15:24)).

Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky)
Church of St. Lazarus in Larnaca, built on his grave. Cyprus

Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ called Lazarus a friend?

The Gospel of John tells about this, in which our Lord Jesus Christ, wishing to go to Bethany, tells the disciples: "Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep." In the name of the friendship between Christ and Lazarus, Mary and Martha call on the Lord to help their brother, saying: “Behold, the one you love is sick” (John 12:3). In the interpretation of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Christ deliberately emphasizes why He wants to go to Bethany: side of the Jews, but I go to wake my friend.
The relics of St. Lazarus of the Four Days in Larnaca

Do you know where the relics of St. Lazarus of the Four Days are located?

The holy relics of Bishop Lazarus were found in Kitia. They lay in a marble ark, on which was written: "Lazarus of the Four Days, friend of Christ."

The Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise (886-911) ordered in 898 to transfer the relics of Lazarus to Constantinople and put them in the temple in the name of Righteous Lazarus.

Today, his relics rest on the island of Cyprus in the city of Larnaca in a temple consecrated in honor of the saint. In the underground crypt of this temple there is a tomb in which the righteous Lazarus was once buried.

Crypt of the Church of Lazarus. Here is an empty tomb with the signature "Friend of Christ", in which the righteous Lazarus was once buried.

Do you know why the Lord Jesus Christ wept when he came to resurrect Lazarus?

“The Lord weeps because he sees man, created in His own image, subjected to decay in order to take away our tears, for for this he died, in order to free us from death” (St. Cyril of Jerusalem).

Do you know that the Gospel, which speaks of the weeping Christ, contains the main Christological dogma?

“As a man, Jesus Christ asks and cries and does everything else that would testify that He is a man; but as God, He resurrects a four-day-old and already smelling of a dead corpse, and generally does what would testify that He is God. Jesus Christ wants people to make sure that He has both natures, and therefore reveals Himself either as a man or as God. (Evfimy Zigaben).

Do you know why the Lord calls the death of Lazarus a sleep?

The Lord calls the death of Lazarus dormition(in the Church Slavonic text), and the resurrection that He intends to accomplish is an awakening. By this He meant to say that death for Lazarus is a transient state.

Lazarus fell ill, and the disciples of Christ said to Him: "God! here is the one you love, sick"(John 11:3). And after that He and His disciples went to Judea. And then Lazarus dies. Already there, in Judea, Christ says to the disciples: “Lazarus, our friend, fell asleep; but I'm going to wake him up"(John 11:11). But the apostles did not understand Him and said: "If you fall asleep, you will recover"(John 11:12), bearing in mind, according to the word of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, that the coming of Christ to Lazarus is not only not necessary, but also harmful for a friend: because “if sleep, as we think, serves to his recovery, but If You go and wake him up, You will hinder his recovery.” In addition, the Gospel itself explains to us why death is called sleep: “Jesus was talking about his death, but they thought that He was talking about an ordinary dream”(John 11:13). And then he directly announced that "Lazarus is dead"(John 11:14).

Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria speaks of three reasons why the Lord called death a dream:

1) “out of humility, for I did not want to seem boastful, but secretly called the resurrection an awakening from sleep ... For, saying that Lazarus “died,” the Lord did not add: I will go and raise him up”;

2) “to show us that every death is sleep and rest”;

3) “although the death of Lazarus for others was death, but for Jesus Himself, since He intended to resurrect him, it was nothing more than a dream. Just as it is easy for us to wake the sleeping one, so, and a thousand times more, it is convenient for Him to resurrect the dead, ” "be glorified through" it's a miracle "God's Son"(John 11:4).

The Dominican monk Burchardt of Sion wrote about the worship of Muslims to the grave of the righteous Lazarus in the 13th century.

Do you know where the grave is located, where Lazarus came from, returned by the Lord to earthly life?

The tomb of Lazarus is located in Bethany, three kilometers from Jerusalem. Now, however, Bethany is identified with the village, in Arabic called Al-Aizariya, which grew up already in Christian times, in the 4th century, around the tomb of Lazarus himself. Ancient Bethany, where the family of the righteous Lazarus lived, was located at a distance from Al-Aizariya - higher up the slope. Many events of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ are closely connected with ancient Bethany. Every time the Lord walked with the disciples along the Jericho road to Jerusalem, their path passed through this village.
Tomb of St. Lazarus in Bethany

Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
In. 11, 27

Lazarus was a Jew and a Pharisee, the son of Simon the Pharisee (Matt. 26:6), originally from Bethany. The Lord often during his earthly life went into the house of Lazarus, whom he loved with his sisters and called his friend (John 11, 3, 5, 11). Lazarus died, but the Lord resurrected him, coming on the fourth day after his death. Hearing about the resurrection of Lazarus, the Jewish chief priests spoke about Jesus Christ: what should we do? This Man does many miracles. If we leave Him thus, then all will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take possession of both our place and our people.(John 11:47-48).

Bishop Caiaphas gave advice to the Sanhedrin, which served as a prophecy about the saving power of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross: you know nothing, and you will not think that it is better for us that one man should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish(John 11:49-50). From that day on, they decided without fail to kill Jesus Christ, promulgating the command to take Him wherever they see (John 11:53). The resurrection of Lazarus so embittered the scribes and high priests that they decided to kill not only the Resurrector, but also the resurrected one (John 12:10). Lazar retired to the island of Cyprus, where later he was appointed bishop by the Apostles. The Mother of God gave him an omophorion made by her hands. Lazar lived after the resurrection for 30 years and kept strict abstinence. He reposed for the second time in Cyprus. In the 9th century, the Byzantine emperor Leo the Philosopher transferred the relics of the righteous Lazarus from Cyprus to Constantinople.

Archpriest G.S. Debolsky,
"Days of worship of the Orthodox Church" v.2

Troparion of the holiday

The general resurrection, before your passion, assuring you, raised Lazarus from the dead, Christ God. The same and we, like the youths of the victory of the sign bearing, We cry to you the conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

“Before Your sufferings, wishing to convince everyone of the general resurrection, You raised Lazarus from the dead, Christ God. Therefore, we, like children, holding the banner of victory in our hands, cry out to You, the Conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. ( Hosanna in the highest- salvation from heaven.

Gospel of John

A certain Lazarus from Bethany, from the village where Mary and Martha, her sister, lived, was sick. But Mary, whom Brother Lazarus was ill with, was the one who anointed the Lord with myrrh and wiped His feet with her hair. The sisters sent to say to Him: Lord! that's who you love, sick. Jesus, hearing this, said: This sickness is not unto death, but to the glory of God, may the Son of God be glorified through it. Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. When he heard that he was ill, he stayed for two days at the place where he was.

After that he said to his disciples: let us go again to Judea. The disciples said to Him: Rabbi! how long have the Jews sought to stone you, and are you going there again? Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours in a day? whoever walks by day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world; but whoever walks at night stumbles, because there is no light with him. Having said this, he says to them later: Lazarus, our friend, fell asleep; but I'm going to wake him up. His disciples said: Lord! if he falls asleep, he will recover. Jesus was talking about his death, and they thought that He was talking about an ordinary dream. Then Jesus said to them directly: Lazarus is dead; and I rejoice for you that I was not there, that you might believe; but let's go to him. Then Thomas, otherwise called the Twin, said to the disciples: let's go and we will die with him.

When Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb for four days. But Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia; and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them in their grief over their brother. Martha, hearing that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him; Mary was at home. Then Martha said to Jesus: Lord! if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask God, God will give You. Jesus says to her: Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise on the resurrection, on the last day. Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? She says to Him: so, Lord! I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, coming into the world. Having said this, she went and secretly called Mary, her sister, saying: The teacher is here and is calling you. She, as soon as she heard it, hastily got up and went to Him. Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was at the place where Martha met Him.

The Jews who were with her in the house and consoled her, seeing that Mary hastily got up and went out, followed her, believing that she had gone to the tomb to weep there. Mary, having come to where Jesus was, and seeing Him, fell at His feet and said to Him: Lord! if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus, when he saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, he himself was grieved in spirit and was indignant and said: where did you put him? They say to Him: Lord! go and see. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said: Look how He loved him. And some of them said: Could not this one who opened the eyes of the blind man prevent this one from dying? Jesus, again grieving inwardly, comes to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay on it. Jesus says, take away the stone. The sister of the deceased, Martha, says to Him: Lord! already stinks; for four days he has been in the tomb. Jesus said to her: Didn't I tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone from the cave where the deceased lay. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: Father! thank you that you heard me. I knew that You would always hear Me; but I said this for the people standing here, that they might believe that you sent me. Having said this, He called out with a loud voice: Lazarus! get out. And the dead man came out, bound hand and foot with funeral linens, and his face was tied with a handkerchief. Jesus tells them: untie him, let him go.

Then many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus had done, believed in Him. And some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a council and said: what shall we do? This Man does many miracles. If we leave Him thus, then all will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take possession of both our place and our people. One of them, a certain Caiaphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing, and you will not think that it is better for us that one person should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish. He did not say this on his own behalf, but, being the high priest that year, he predicted that Jesus would die for the people, and not only for the people, but that even the scattered children of God might be gathered together.

From that day on, they decided to kill Him. Therefore, Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to a country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples. The Passover of the Jews was approaching, and many from all over the country came to Jerusalem before the Passover to cleanse themselves. Then they looked for Jesus and, standing in the temple, they said to each other: What do you think? will he not come to the feast? The chief priests and the Pharisees gave the order that if anyone knew where He would be, they would announce in order to take Him.

You and I often go to church, pray, kiss holy icons. But not everyone knows that the righteous Lazarus, the right hand and faithful helper of the Lord, helps and heals from various ailments. To be honest, many do not even know who he is and what to do with his icon. We have become so far from the church that holy relics and icons begin to stream myrrh to show us unbelievers that the end is near. That the Savior will soon come and reward everyone according to their deserts.

Lazar lived near Jerusalem, in the town of Bethany. He was the brother of Mary and Martha. Jesus called him his brother, his best friend. (John 11:3,6,11).Lazar was sick and died. The Savior mourned him for a long time, and resurrected him on the fourth day. It was impossible to be near the deceased, there was a terrible stench.

Immediately after returning to this world, Lazar left his native city and settled in Cyprus. He was forced to do so, the local priests wanted to kill him. He was approximately 30 years of age. Around the age of 45, righteous Paul and Barnabas arrived on the island with the aim of preaching the Word of God. Here they met with Lazarus and Mark, and appointed the righteous to the position of bishop. Lazar ruled the Kitian community for 18 years.

When Lazar, after a long journey, ascended the island and wandered around the city in search of housing, he became very thirsty. He never found water, and was forced to ask the mistress of one of the houses for some grapes. She said that she had no grapes, this year there was a terrible drought, nothing had ugly. Lazarus was angry and answered her: "For your lies, you will have only a salt lake, and not a vineyard." Today, tourists and believers who come to the island are shown this lake. Today, the locals are happy to receive guests.

When Lazar became a bishop, the Mother of God came to him and gave him a very expensive gift, an omophorion that she made herself. She traveled a long way before reaching Cyprus. Together with the apostles, she fell into a terrible storm. The Lord directed the ship to Mount Athos. Subsequently, a monastery was founded there.

After Lazar came back to life, he preached and helped people for another 30 years. He died in Cyprus.

Relics of Saint Lazarus

In the city where Lazarus lived and served, a temple was erected. They put it over the burial place of the righteous. He died at 63. When the bells are struck, the ringing scatters to all corners of the small town. A marble slab was installed over the tombstone, on it was written: "Lazarus, was dead for four days, brother of Jesus."

When wars were fought, and Cyprus was captured by the troops of the Franks, the relics of Lazarus were taken to Marseilles. The followers of Jesus and Lazarus were wise, they did not hand over all the remains to the military. For many years, no one knew about it.

In our time, not so distant 1972, there was a fire in a temple in Cyprus. Burning icons on the iconostasis. The weight of the top row burned out. When the fire approached the icon of Lazarus, the Lord stopped the fire. Thus gave a sign to the believers. The servants began repairs, began to restore the temple. Construction work was entrusted to Deacon Macarius. He dug up a tomb with the remains of a saint. For so many centuries, only a part of the inscription has been preserved on it, and it meant “Brother” in translation. The remains were safely transferred to a special tomb, and are still kept in the church of St. Lazarus. Many pilgrims have since visited the temple. Numerous miracles and healings have been recorded.

Not everyone believed that it was Lazar's relics that were found. Scientists from the USA were especially doubtful of this. In 1996, they were allowed to verify their authenticity. But when the scientists entered the temple, a miracle happened, all the icons with the image of the righteous and the tomb began to stream myrrh, there was a wonderful smell in the temple. As a result, it was concluded that these are indeed the relics of the saint.

The old temple has been reconstructed. To the left of the altar of the temple, the icon of the Mother of God was placed, to the right, there is an entrance to the cave. It contains the relics of the saint. The location of the dungeon is such that the tomb is located directly under the altar of the temple. It contains part of the relics, the second in Marseille.

Everyone really wants to touch the shrine. This place is the proof of the goodness of the Lord. After all, he resurrected the dead, thereby showing that he is powerful, and death is subject to him.

Prayer to Saint Lazarus

What is asked of Saint Lazarus

The saint works miracles. Whoever prays with faith in his heart receives everything he asks for. Many people come to his icon. They believe in its miraculous power. When medicine cannot help, the faithful friend of the Savior and his assistant Lazarus come to the rescue.

He is asked for healing:

From skin diseases (psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, sexually transmitted diseases);
Asthma attacks (asthmatic attacks of various forms of severity, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, frequent bronchitis and colds);
Problems with the musculoskeletal system (problems with legs and arms, vestibular apparatus).

About intercession from various misfortunes and troubles.

When they pray and ask for healing, they necessarily promise the saint what they will do when he grants them the mercy of the Lord. Many try to help the disadvantaged and the needy. To break the word means to get sick again.

Saint Lazarus from what helps

Believers go on a long journey to be able to touch his relics and receive healing there. You can pray at the icon in the temple or purchase it and pray at home. The Lord healed him, so he, as God's helper, helps those who ask, restores strength and health.

Seriously ill who cannot walk, the saint helps to get back on their feet. They pray for a long time and ask him for help. They get to his tomb by crawling, on all fours, as it turns out.
Those suffering from skin diseases are cured completely.
Venereal patients come to him, pray, and he prolongs their lives.
Cases are known when asthma patients were cured, and relapses did not recur.
They pray to him in despondency, and he suggests a way out of this situation..

On the day of his resurrection, on Lazarus Saturday, they make vows that they try not to break for anything in life.

If suddenly, misfortune happens to you, and the doctors are powerless, pray to Lazarus. Do not despair. He will hear and heal.

Icon of Saint Lazarus

Saint Lazarus Day

Saturday of the Holy is closely connected with the great Orthodox holiday Easter. There is no exact date for this day, it is tied to the celebration of Easter, and is celebrated seven days before the bright holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.

In 2019, we will be able to come to the liturgy on April 20. It is on this day that Orthodoxy will honor the righteous Lazarus.

Lazarus Saturday, what a feast of Lazarus Saturday

Jesus healed his friend and brother Lazarus. He did this purposefully, because he knew perfectly well that a few days later, at the Last Supper, he would be betrayed. Therefore, he showed the people the mercy of the Lord, so that they would not dare to doubt their faith.

It is from this day that the liturgy leads the faithful through the last days and hours of the life of the Savior. His earthly existence is coming to an end. According to Scripture, it was after the resurrection of Lazarus that Christ had exactly one week to live. This is what the Divine Liturgy sings about.Having resurrected the righteous, Jesus showed the world one of the last miracles of the Lord. He, who will soon have to go through terrible trials, torment and death himself, declares that he has conquered death.

From the side of the church, the manifestation of such a miracle speaks of the power of Jesus over life and death. Only he can give life and take it away overnight. He shows that the righteous believers and his followers will be resurrected, they will receive eternal life as a reward for their faith.

This day is dedicated to the sick and desperate in the struggle for healing. The church prays and asks the saint to come to their aid.

Lazarus Saturday in postcards

Lazarus Saturday congratulations:

in prose

Palm Saturday came, brought a lot of joy to the laity. She showed a miracle to all of us, the Lord resurrected the righteous Lazarus. He sent him to help us. Happy holiday to you.

With the resurrection of Lazarus, a great miracle happened. The Lord appeared to the people. We wish you a lot of joy and good health on Saturday. May Lazar protect you, and ask God for help and intercession.

May today give happiness and faith in a miracle. Pray to Lazarus and he will help, will be at the right hand of the Lord. May hope and the miracle of life live in your hearts. Happy holiday to you.

in verse

A beautiful day has come to us
A miracle happened
The Lord appeared to us
He gave life back to the righteous.

So that he idolizes us with you,
Saved everyone from troubles and misfortunes
And gave us only happiness.

This weekend, during a strict fast,
A special Saturday is coming
Day for the Remembrance of Christ

We will name her in honor of Lazarus,
We will collect a lot of willow on this day,
Let's go to church in the morning
Day, let's call it palm.

Let's leave everything at home
We will throw sadness at the threshold,
Let's all go to church together
Let's light a candle for Lazarus.

He is a helper and assistant,
It will protect us from all troubles.
We will pray together, and kissing the icon,
We give praise to God.

sms

We want to congratulate you on the holiday. On this beautiful day, miracles happen. May the Lord idolize you, and Lazarus will protect you from all troubles.

08.05.2015

According to the Gospel, Saint Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. His life was connected with the Savior, because it was him who was resurrected by Christ on the fourth day after he died. In the Catholic Church, Saint Lazarus' day is considered December 17, and it is he who is considered the very first bishop who served in Marseille.

The Gospel speaks of Lazarus only in the name of John, and all the events that are associated with him are associated with the resurrection. When Christ went to Lazarus, to the tomb where he was buried, he began to cry very hard, and those standing nearby who saw this began to say that Jesus loved Lazarus very much. After Christ was near the cave, the stone was rolled away from it, and the Savior began to pray. A few minutes passed, and a man's hand appeared from the cave, and then the whole man, it turned out to be Lazarus. He was bound with swaddling clothes, Christ asked to be untied.

The exact burial place of Lazarus is unknown.

According to the Catholic tradition, which was reflected in the Legend, Lazar with his sister and Mary Magdalene decided to go to Marseilles, where he began to preach the teachings of Christ. Marseilles were mostly pagans who did not immediately accept the new teacher. After some time, Lazar was able to become the Bishop of Marseille.

The relics of Lazarus were brought to the city of Kitiy, which is now called Larnaca, in a special marble reliquary. There was a small inscription on the cancer, which says that Lazarus was a friend of the Savior.

A few years later, Emperor Leo the Wise ordered the relics of the saint to be transported to Constantinople, where they were placed in a small temple of the same name. In the 10th century, in the city of Larnaca, near the grave of Lazarus, a church was built in his name. The most interesting thing is that in the 20th century, scientists accidentally discovered a small cancer in which there were human remains. According to them, these were the remains of St. Lazarus. Most likely, not all the relics of the saint were taken to Constantinople. Scholars continue to disagree about the burial place of St. Lazarus, as there were rumors at one time that he was buried in Bethany, where his grave is located. This place is now considered Muslim, and to see the grave, you need to pay money. There is a small mosque next to the grave. The city of Bethany during the Byzantine rule was called Lazarion, after it was captured by the Muslims, the city became known as El-Azaria, which in Arabic means "the city of Lazarus."

Several facts of the resurrection and the tradition of honoring Lazarus

The name Lazar comes from a shortened form of another name - Elizar. If we talk about the translation of this name, it means "God helped me." A small but very revered order of knights was named in his honor, which is called the Holy Order of Lazarus.

According to statistics, at the moment there are more than six thousand people in this order who live on different continents. The order is considered monastic, but refers to military people who take part in hostilities. It all started from the crusaders who fought in the lands of Palestine in the 11th century. Today, representatives of the order are engaged only in charity.

In Cyprus, in the city of Larnaca, where the Church of St. Lazarus is located, there is a tomb in a small underground crypt, and it has a museum. This museum is assembled from unique exhibits that were not bought or ordered from anyone. Everything that is there was brought and given as a gift by the parishioners of the temple, who have been visiting it for many centuries. A lot of time passed, and the museum became overcrowded, there was not enough space in it, and a new building was built, which was turned into a new and expanded museum.

Art critics spoke differently about Lazar

In the last century, Van Gogh decided to talk about an unusual interpretation of the plot presented in the New Testament. This work was very different from the canonical representation, since the Savior, who performed a miracle by resurrecting Lazarus, was shown as the Sun, and in the main place was the Saint himself with his sisters Mary and Martha. In modern Russia, Lazarus symbolizes a person who suffers from illness and poverty, although after death he was rewarded in his later life in Heaven.

In Cuba, not everyone can beg, it can be done by those who have dedicated themselves to the Saint. Lazarus on this island remains the most important patron for the population, and not only representatives of Christianity, but also supporters of Santeri, who consider Lazarus to be a deity, the lord of diseases, try to celebrate the holiday.

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Lazarus was from Bethany near Jerusalem, the brother of Mary and Martha. During His life, the Lord loved them and often visited their home in Bethany, calling Lazarus His friend (Jn. 11 :3, 5, 11).

After the untimely death of Lazarus, shedding tears over his tomb, the Lord, as the Almighty, raised him from the dead, when Lazarus had already been lying in the tomb for four days and was already stinking (Jn. 11 :17-45). This miracle is remembered by the Church on the sixth Saturday of Great Lent (Lazarus Saturday).

After his resurrection, Saint Lazarus withdrew to the island of Cyprus, since the high priests decided to kill him (Jn. 12 :9-11), where he was later appointed bishop.

According to legend, Lazar, being a bishop, was honored with a visit from the Mother of God and received from Her an omophorion made by Her hands. After the miraculous resurrection, Saint Lazarus lived another 30 years, maintaining strict abstinence, and died on the island of Cyprus.

Pilgrims visiting the Holy Land are shown two tombs of the righteous man: one in Bethany in Jerusalem, and the other in the city of Kitim on the island of Cyprus. Not reaching the Holy City for about two and a half miles, the pilgrims visit Bethany, located on the eastern side of one foothill of the Mount of Olives. And a little to the northeast and below they indicate the tomb of Lazarus, also revered by the Mohammedans. A small entrance cut through the rock leads to a narrow deep cave. Having descended 25 steps, the pilgrims meet a small platform with a stone table in the corner, which serves as an altar during the days of worship on Lazarus Saturday. The site is considered the place of the Lord's appeal: "Lazarus, come out!" Five more steps down - and the burial cave. Here they usually read the Gospel of John about the resurrection of Lazarus (Jn. 11 :1-7, 11-45) and the troparia of Palm Week. First, the Lord was met by Martha, then by Mary, when He went to the tomb to arouse his friend Lazarus - there is a large rounded “stone of conversation”, from which many receive healing.

And on the island of Cyprus there is a second tomb of the righteous Lazarus. 90 km from the city of Limassol, along the road lying between the hills, the pilgrims arrive in the city of Larnaca, where there is a temple dedicated to Lazarus, where he served. The temple stands on the site of the original church of the 9th-10th centuries, built over the tomb of Lazarus. The present building of the temple of the XVII century. made of stone, its size is 35x17 m, there are two doors (from the north and west), a three-tiered bell tower, a vast courtyard, a museum. The temple has four pillars, if two pillars are counted in the altar, then it has six pillars, everything is covered with marble. There are three side aisles. In the center is a large chandelier: 5 tiers of candles below and three tiers above, and two chandeliers on the sides. To the left of the altar is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, and to the right of the altar there is a cave - the tomb of the righteous Lazarus. There are choirs at the back of the temple at a height. The entrance to the cave goes along seven steps under the altar of the temple. The size of the cave is 6x12 m.

The relics of the righteous Lazarus are in the middle: the head and half of his bones. And the second half of the relics was in Constantinople, the crusaders in 1291 took them to France, to Marseille. On the right is the iconostasis, in which the icons are arranged in three rows, and there are decorations in two rows between the icons. Across the cave stands a tomb with the inscription: Lazarus - friend of God". Cancer - like a table, like a large bath, stone - 1.3x0.8x0.7 m. Temple - with a bell tower, along the length of the temple there is a gallery 2.5-3 m high, like a corridor along the surface of the courtyard, there are side doors: northern and southern, from the west - large entrance. And there are two side pulpits for preachers. This place is also revered by all Orthodox Christians as a great shrine, as proof of the undoubted mercy, love and omnipotence of God. The resurrection of Lazarus revealed power and power over death.

This earthly life among people is very strange, when you strive to serve others, and they are only waiting for something bright, enchanting, waiting for primitive miracles: give us wealth, pleasures; but those of them - punish, humiliate, and even destroy.

Even the manifestation of the highest earthly - unearthly glory should take place under the cover of night only in the presence of three disciples-witnesses on the mountain. This anointing from the Father makes the King of Glory. But whose King? Where is the people who wish to have a Betrayed, Humiliated, Beaten, Executed over them?

Even His Disciples themselves do not immediately accept this. He tells them about His sufferings, death, and they try to beg for themselves glorious places at His throne...

Hearing without hearing is what we can do. We hear, but how skillfully we turn everything in our favor, twist it! Today, for many, the Holy Scripture is no longer presented by the Church through its own mouth. The enemy of the human race interprets it. And the world bows its ears to the soothing whisper of the evil one.

Lazar is dead! - the Lord informs bluntly, saying that he is returning to Jerusalem. And Thomas, one of the twelve, exclaims: So let us go, and we will die with Him!
Beautiful determination in the slogan sounded, but we remember that everything happened then differently ...

The road to Jerusalem lies through Bethania. It was then that Bethania laid Christ's friend, Lazarus, in the secret depths of corruption. Death shook the sisters Martha and Mary with grief. She, with her hopelessness, circled in the house of the inconsolable her dance of triumph over all living people. Death remained the only earthly truth that could not be transcended. She can't change.

All mankind is so faithful to HER that even Solomon exclaims: love is as strong as death! O Solomon, who tasted death, you did not yet know that God is Love! The Lifegiver himself goes to destroy the stereotype of the victory of death. He goes to step over it, in order to then voluntarily fall into its greedy embrace by the exhaustion of human nature.

From the blooming Galilee, from the majestic mound in the middle of the Ezdralon valley - Tabor, a cavalcade of pilgrims marches to Jerusalem through the lifeless hills of the Judean Desert. And this emptiness doused the faces of the travelers with the heat of a deadly tribute: we will all be THERE!
Why rush to the grave cave of the deceased? What is there to look for now? - there is decay, there is a stench, there is the triumph of the fruits of Adam's fall.

But the Teacher walks along the path of worshipers, familiar from childhood, and his disciples follow Him, who have seen many different miracles of the Lord. Seen.
And what does this vision without knowledge give? In the rays of popular glory, which from time to time surrounded the Son of Man, people, they bathed, received delight and hope. They were proud of their Teacher.

Remember how Luke and Cleopas, in a conversation on the road to Emmaus, bitterly reproached Him: “But we hoped that He was the One Who should deliver Israel; but with all that, it is already the third day since this happened.”?

They hoped, and He disappointed them so bitterly. He disappointed that he allowed himself to be bullied. They saw His weakness in this. We saw only exhaustion.
In their eyes, He was to remain a Wonderworker, a formidable King, punishing right and left, and in His radiance they were to be above all...

Christians, woe to those who even now in Christ seek their glory, their earthly well-being, wealth! The Lord is a comforter, but not the organizer of earthly pleasure and peace.
And He came to bring Lazarus out of the bowels of the earth, out of pus, to tear him away from eating worms, not for the sake of earthly happiness: immediately after his resurrection from the dead, the friend of Christ was forced to flee to unknown Cyprus, saving the life resurrected by the Lord.

At the tomb cave in Bethfania stands the Lord of Life. Another stone littered the narrow, low entrance to the place where the decomposing body lies. He alone knows what he intends to do. But he does not do it without the Father. Therefore, he prays, invoking the Creative Power from the Father-Spirit, so that everyone later remembers His words about the common Resurrection from the dead of all.

How it was a long time ago. And today it sounds like a fairy tale. But how joyful is the heart that believes. Because it is impossible not to believe Him, the One Who at first humanly wept over the coffin, and then called out: “Lazarus come out!!!”

And you yourself, with all your soul, bound hand and foot, go out blindfolded, out of this stink of yours, out of this decaying decay of passions. You come out, you crawl out, you writhe like a snake, but you go to the Light of Life. Because he called. And Lazar (Eleazar) is you! Your soul.

Together with Raskolnikov, together with the harlot Sonya Marmeladova, you stand amazed to the unknown depths of your heart over this abyss of the coffin of godlessness, from where you were called. And you understand to live with Christ is to create something new! This is Easter! First the Cross. It's cleansing. But after all on it Easter Light! Easter Joy!

Eliazar- in translation - to whom God helps. Who doesn't help? Helps everyone. We are all Lazarus. You just need to give a reason, an opportunity such that God helps. We need labor. Above yourself, above your soul. Help will rush to the worker and will not leave the darkness of the grave alone.

Days of Remembrance:

Troparion of the Righteous Lazarus the Four Days, Tone 4

How great is the treasure and wealth that is not stolen / came to us from Cyprus, Lazarus, / By the providence of all God, by the command of the pious king, / giving healing to those who honor you as a gift, / delivering from troubles and from all harm, / by faith crying out to you: / save everyone with your prayers , Our Father Lazarus.

Troparion on the Resurrection of Righteous Lazarus

Kontakion of Righteous Lazarus the Four Days, Tone 8

Vyde, like a bright star, / from Cyprus, your honest relics, Lazarus, / The reigning city sanctifies and amuses the Christ-loving king / and people enrich their own, / giving you the grace of healing, faithfully calling to you: / Rejoice, Lazarus, friend of God.