Saint Lazarus of the Fourth Day, Kitiya, friend of God, bishop

Lazarus the Four-Day
(c.), Bishop of Kitia, righteous Memory on “Lazarus Saturday” (Saturday of the sixth week of Lent) - resurrection, May 4, October 17 - transfer of relics from Cyprus to Constantinople, March 17 (Greek) [1] and in the Cathedral of Cyprus Saints (Greek [2])

Righteous Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, lived in the village of Bethany, not far from Jerusalem.
During His earthly life, the Lord Jesus Christ often visited the house of Lazarus, whom He loved very much and called His friend (John 11:3-11), and when Lazarus died and had already lain in the tomb for four days, the Lord raised him from the dead (John 11:3-11). 11, 17-44). Many Jews, having heard about this, came to Bethany and, having ascertained the reality of this greatest miracle, became followers of Christ. For this, the high priests wanted to kill Lazarus. Righteous Lazarus is mentioned in the Gospel one more time: when, 6 days before Easter, the Lord came to Bethany again, the resurrected Lazarus was there (John 12: 1-2, 9-11).

After the murder of the holy Archdeacon Stephen and the onset of persecution against the Jerusalem Church, righteous Lazarus was expelled from Jerusalem and, together with his sisters, went to preach the Gospel in different countries. He became a bishop on the island of Cyprus, where he spread Christianity, and there he rested peacefully for about a year.

The holy relics of Bishop Lazarus were found in Kitia. They lay in a marble ark, on which was written: “Lazarus the Fourth Day, friend of Christ.” The Byzantine Emperor Leo the Wise in 898 ordered the relics of righteous Lazarus to be transferred to Constantinople and placed in a temple named after him.

Saint Lazarus, life story

Lazarus 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). Lazarus 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, Lazarus left his hometown and settled in Cyprus. He was forced to do this, the local priests wanted to kill him. He was approximately 30 years of age. Somewhere in the year 45, the righteous Paul and Barnabas arrived on the island with the purpose of preaching the Word of God. Here they met with Lazarus and Mark, and appointed the righteous one to the post of bishop. Lazarus ruled the Kitian community for 18 years.

When Lazar, after a long journey, ascended to 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 owner of one of the houses for some grapes. She said that she had no grapes, there was a terrible drought this year, and nothing was harvested. Lazarus became angry and answered her: “For your lies, you will only have a salt lake, and not a vineyard.” Today, tourists and believers who arrive on the island are shown this lake. Nowadays, local residents gladly receive guests.

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

After Lazarus returned to life, he preached and helped people for another 30 years. He died in Cyprus.

How to get to the religious site

The temple adorns the old part of the city; it is located in the center, near the port. From any part of Larnaca it is easy to reach the place on foot. Bus number 425 stops near the attraction; you need to get off at the Apolloniou Kytheos stop.

Many tourists from other parts of Cyprus come by bus to visit the holy place. They should get off at the Finikoudes stop, the central point of the Larnaca intercity route.

When traveling independently by car, choose the port of Larnaca as a reference point.

There are several official taxi companies operating in Cyprus (in particular, Cyprus Taxi), and it is easy to use mobile taxi ordering applications for smartphones.

Relics of Saint Lazarus

In the city where Lazarus lived and served, a temple was erected. They placed it over the burial place of the righteous. He died in 63. When the bells are rung, the ringing spreads 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 Frankish troops, 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 this.

In our time, not so distant in 1972, there was a fire in a temple in Cyprus. The icons on the iconostasis were burning. The weight of the top row has burned out. When the fire got close to the icon of Lazarus, the Lord stopped the fire. Thus, he gave a sign to the believers. The servants began repairs and began to restore the temple. Construction work was entrusted to Deacon Macarius. He dug up a tomb containing the remains of a saint. For so many centuries, only part of the inscription was 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. Many miracles and healings were recorded.

Not everyone believed that it was Lazarus’ relics that were found. Scientists from the USA especially doubted this. In 1996, they were allowed to verify their authenticity. But when the scientists entered the temple, a miracle happened: all the icons depicting the righteous man and the tomb began to flow myrrh, and there was a wonderful smell in the temple. As a result, it was concluded that these were indeed the relics of the saint.

The old temple was reconstructed. To the left of the temple altar is an icon of the Mother of God, to the right is the entrance to the cave. The relics of the saint are kept in it. 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 proof of the goodness of the Lord. After all, he resurrected the deceased, thereby showing that he was powerful, and death was subject to him.

Holy Great Martyr Lazar, King of Serbia

Memory 15/28 June

“The Svyatosavsky national ideal “everything for Christ - Christ for nothing,” wrote the Monk Justin (Popovich), “no one realized in such completeness as the holy great martyr King Lazarus. He embodied this national ideal by choosing the Kingdom of Heaven and sacrificing himself in Kosovo, and with him the entire Serbian people.”

St. Lazarus. Modern icon. Photo: Hierome Ignatius (Shestakov)

The father of the great martyr King Lazar, Lazar Pribac Khlebeljanovic, was a nobleman at the court of the powerful Serbian king Stefan Dusan (1331–1355). He was originally from the city of Prilepets and had three children: two daughters and one son - the blessed and glorious Lazarus, who was born in the mentioned Prilepets around 1329; From childhood he was raised in the Christian faith. Having a good disposition, a gentle mind, a brave and noble heart, he quickly progressed in learning and piety. Lazar abundantly multiplied the talents he received from God and soon surpassed many of his peers, attracted the attention of King Dushan himself and gained his favor. Lazarus was taken to the royal court in Skopje and soon began to take part in solving state affairs.

At the court of Tsar Dusan, young Lazar quickly gained universal love and respect for his honesty, courage and sincere faith. As a man skilled in military affairs, Lazar became the commander of Tsar Dusan, who gave him his noble relative Militsa, daughter of the Grand Duke Vratko from the Nemanjic family, as his wife. (The voivode of Toplitsky and Polimsky Vratko is otherwise known as old Yug-Bogdan. He traced his descent from Vukan, the eldest son of Nemanja. Old Yug-Bogdan, glorified in folk epics, brought all his nine sons to the Battle of Kosovo and died heroically with them.) By According to popular legend, Lazar became engaged to Milica in the Jošanice monastery and soon after his marriage was elevated to the dignity of a prince. This happened around 1353.

St. Lazar and Militsa. Fresco of the Lyubostin Monastery

Lazar and Militsa served as an example of piety for each other. God first gave them five daughters: Mara, Dragana, or Maria, Elena, Theodora and Oliver, and then three sons: Stefan, Vuk and Dobrovoy. How pious their family was can be judged by the fact that the father, mother and eldest son were eventually glorified as saints.

The powerful Dušan extended the Serbian state to many Greek lands, and in 1346 he was even proclaimed emperor in his new capital, Skopje. At the same time, the Serbian Archdiocese was elevated to the rank of patriarchy. At this time, the Turks, who sought to continue their conquests from Asia Minor to Europe, posed an increasing threat to Christians in the Balkans. Tsar Dushan advanced against them with his army, but on the way he suddenly fell ill and died on December 20, 1355. The throne passed to his son Tsar Uros (1355–1371). However, the young ruler was no longer able to keep his father’s great power in obedience. Some of the influential Serbian nobles did not want to submit to him, and Dusan's power began to disintegrate.

Despot Uglesha, who ruled in the south of the country, trying to protect Christians from the attacks of the “wicked Hagarians,” waged a decisive struggle with the Turks. He called on other Serbian rulers for joint action, but no one except his brother Vukasin Mrnjavcevic responded to this call. On September 26, 1371, in the famous battle on the Maritsa River, the Turks suddenly defeated the Serbian army, and both brothers laid down their heads in this battle. For Christians in the southern lands of Dusan's former state, difficult times have come.

At the same time, Uroš V ruled in the north of the country. Meek and merciful by nature, he was unable to firmly hold the unity of the Serbian lands under his rod. Prince Lazar, who remained loyal to Uros, became his reliable support in state affairs. At the same time, Lazar first received the title of Novobrd and Toplitsko-Polimsky, and then Rudnitsky and Moravian prince. Peace-loving by nature, Prince Lazar wished with all his heart to unite the Serbian kingdom, torn apart by civil strife, and to unite the Serbs to fight against the foreign conquerors. After the death of King Urosh on December 4, 1371, Lazar cared even more diligently about the implementation of his good intention. Having received Novo Brdo, Toplica and Rudnik, and then Branicevo and Macva with Belgrade under his control, he moved his capital to the Moravian region - to the city of Krusevac. A lot of trouble was caused to him by the rebellious and treacherous Nikola Altomanovich, who repeatedly attacked his lands. The insidious Nikola decided to destroy Lazar and take possession of his estate. One day, supposedly for a conversation, he invited the unarmed prince, but when Saint Lazarus arrived, one of Altomanovich’s servants attacked him and stabbed the prince with a knife. Lazarus fell as if dead, but, according to God’s Providence, he escaped death. The golden cross that he always wore on his chest prevented him from being mortally wounded.

After this event, the noble prince entered into an alliance with the Serbian Bosnian king Tvrtko I (1353–1391) and defeated Altomanović. Soon he subjugated the regions of Herzegovina and Banat to his power and began to be called “in Christ God, the blessed and autocratic ruler of Serbia and Primorye, Stephen the Grand Duke Lazarus.” The Serbian people often called him nothing less than King Lazar.

Prince Lazar showed special love and care for God’s holy churches and monasteries, becoming a patron and benefactor for many of them. After the reconciliation of the Serbian and Constantinople Churches, his first good deed was the construction of the beautiful Church of St. Stephen in Krusevac, now known as Lazarica. According to Patriarch Daniel III, this Christ-loving ruler “filled the mountains and hills of his empire with abodes of monastic life,” where many monks settled, serving God in solitude and prayerful silence. Many monks from the enslaved regions of the Balkan Peninsula and from the Holy Mountain, fleeing from the Turks, flocked to the power of Lazarus. The pious prince lovingly received the ascetics and provided them with refuge in his lands. Especially many monastics settled in the vicinity of Krusevac and Stalac, where many churches of that time have survived to this day. Famous Sinaitic ascetics also came to the holy prince - disciples and followers of St. Gregory of Sinaite. One of them asked Lazarus to give them some secluded place where they could labor in silence and distance. Heeding their prayers, the holy prince built the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in a quiet and sheltered place on the Mlava River and founded a monastery near it. In 1379, Lazar supplied the monastery with the necessary household goods and donated it to the Sinai monks and Saint Gregory. The Serbian Patriarch Spiridon, together with the Church Council, confirmed this princely donation. This monastery, dedicated to the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple, exists to this day and is called Gornyak.

In 1380, the trustee of the monastic hospital of the Hilandar Lavra, monk Gerasim, who was the brother of Vuk Brankovic, Lazar's son-in-law, arrived in Krusevac from Athos. The ascetic came to the noble prince and informed him that the sick and elderly monks of the monastery were waiting for help and consolation from him. Lazarus immediately issued a letter in which he ordered that 100 gold pieces be given annually for the maintenance of the Hilandar hospital, and bequeathed two villages for food and care for sick monks. His Holiness Spyridon confirmed this donation with his patriarchal letter. Having learned from Gerasim that the monastery church had become too small for worshipers, Lazar sent architects and everything necessary to expand the temple to the Holy Mountain. Thanks to this, the main church, built by the holy king Milutin, was expanded, and Prince Lazar became one of the great builders of the Hilandar monastery. He did not forget about other Svyatogorsk monasteries. Thus, in 1381, the prince donated the Church of the Savior in Khvosno and several villages with the necessary privileges to the Russian Panteleimon Monastery. At the same time, the priest Musa and his sons Stefan and Lazar donated the village and the church of St. Nicholas on Labe to this monastery. With his letter, Lazar also confirmed the donations of the governor of Tsrepa - the villages of Mutnitsa and Parakinov Brod, bequeathed to the Lavra of St. Athanasius.

The pious prince also took care of the Serbian monks in the Holy Land. At the request of the Jerusalem Patriarch Michael, on August 31, 1388, he wrote to the prince of the Dubrovitsky Republic to pay the remaining tax to the Serbian monks of the monastery of the Archangel Michael in Jerusalem. Blessed Lazarus sent donations to the Sinai Monastery and other monasteries.

Ravanica Monastery

But the greatest soul of Saint Prince Lazar was the famous monastery of Ravanica, founded by him in 1381 and dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. The construction of this beautiful monastery was entrusted to the architect Rada Borović, who erected a majestic church in the beautiful Serbian-Byzantine style. An eyewitness to this event, Patriarch Daniel III, in his “Tale of Prince Lazar,” reports on the magnificent decoration of the temple, decorated with “beautiful marble.” The icons and walls of the temple were decorated with gold and silver. The monastery was surrounded by "high towers and solid walls." In the same year, the prince generously endowed the monastery with estates in the Pomoravie, Danube and Posavina regions. The princely charter reads: “I, in Christ God, the blessed prince Lazarus, jealous of the former pious king before me, I will exalt me ​​to their throne of God and adorn the kingdom with dignity, and with the glory from his many gifts is upon me, it is not enough to bring him the desire, if by strength, by the good will of the Father, by the haste of the Son, by the perfection of the Light of the Spirit, I erected from the foundation the monastery to the glory of the bright Ascension, and for me in the ktitorium, which I adorned according to my strength, whose residence in it was willed to unite the brethren, as the apostles established and ruled the holy fathers . We applied all the abundance to the needs of the income and the village, we planted grapes and other things from Tsrep and Yug... And we set up the settlement, and behold, we trembled at the manastir... And all the wood that we added, we did not take away anyone’s bashtina, we did not do it according to our strength, but everything was redeemed and with a replacement, just like anyone wants.”

The first abbot of the new monastery was Arseny - a man gifted with virtues, adorned with reason, endowed with “the gift of the Holy Spirit to teach many.” At this time, the famous ascetic Rev. Romil of Ravanitsky, who after his death was buried in the monastery, also labored in Ravanitsa.

Prince Lazar was diligently engaged in the construction and restoration of churches. He showed fatherly care for orphans and the infirm, building and maintaining hospices and hospitals. They set up schools for the people at churches and monasteries. Thus, a school was opened in Krusevac, where his sons and daughters and other children of the capital studied. Many learned and wise men gathered at his royal court. There were also skilled isographers and jewelers from the southern Serbian and Greek lands, who fled from the violence of the “evil Ishmaelites.”

According to Constantine the Philosopher, seeing cities “burnt by fire” and destroyed by the Turks, “monasteries and churches of the pious” and “many murders and flowing rivers of blood,” Prince Lazar tried with all his might to restore and put in order everything he could and to console the disadvantaged. But the Turkish attack tormented the Serbian lands more and more. “For long ago,” writes Constantine the Philosopher with contrition, “the Greek power fell, and the Ishmaelites multiplied and spread throughout the western lands... The Ishmaelite family spread more and more, like some kind of locust; some of the Christians were taken away, others were enslaved, others were robbed, others were killed like fire, destroying and erasing everything wherever they appeared... And the hope of changing this seemed unrealistic for us, who sin and do not turn to the One, Who changes everything.”

King Lazar repeatedly fought against Turkish raids. Not tolerating the suffering of widows, he firmly decided that he would either remove their shame or accept martyrdom himself. “For the Turks,” as the Monk Justin (Popovich) writes, “were constantly moving forward with fire and sword, by untruth and violence they paved their way further and further to the west. They were no longer content with paying tribute and taxes on the part of Christians, but sought to completely subjugate and enslave all Christian peoples.” Within a few years they managed to capture the large and powerful cities of Ser (1383), Sofia (1385) and Thessaloniki (1387). In 1386, the Serbian city of Nis also fell.

At the head of the enormous Turkish force was Sultan Murad I (1362–1389). His first meeting with the army of King Lazar took place near the town of Pločnik on Toplice in 1387. Then, according to ancient Serbian chronicles, Murad retreated before Prince Lazar. The following year, the Turks broke into Bosnia, but there they were met by the brave Vlatko Vukovich, the governor of the Bosnian king Tvrtko, and won a heroic victory over the Turks near the city of Bilec.

But, as a sign of impending troubles, civil strife, quarrels and betrayals, generated by the lust for power of the Serbian rulers, broke out again among the Serbs. There was not among them the unanimity and devotion to the prince that was so necessary in the face of the terrible danger, who had to imploringly call the Serbs to fight in Kosovo. To this end, he held a council in Krusevac with his governors and nobles and from there sent a general appeal to all Serbs. But not everyone responded to this call. Help did not come from Western Christians either.

Serbian troops began to gather near Krusevac and, led by King Lazar and the governors, moved south towards Kosovo, and Murad's troops moved towards them north of Skopje. The Bosnian governor Vlatko Vukovich and with him Ban Ivanish Horvat from Croatia arrived to the aid of the prince. Lazar's son-in-law Vuk Brankovic, ruler of Kosovo, also prepared an army. On the day before the battle, the prince gathered his soldiers near the white church of Samodrezha (Church of St. John the Baptist), where the Divine Liturgy was served and Patriarch Spyridon gave communion to the entire Serbian army.

At this time, Murad with his sons Yakub and Bayazid, military leaders and numerous detachments of Turkish emirs from Asia Minor had already settled on the Kosovo field between Pristina and the rivers Laba and Sitnitsa.

Battle of Kosovo. Modern icon. Serbia. photo: Hierome Ignatius (Shestakov)

The brutal and tragic battle took place on Tuesday, June 15, 1389, the feast day of St. Vitus - Vidovdan in Serbian. Before the battle, King Lazarus once again prayed to God from the bottom of his heart and addressed his soldiers with an inspiring speech. When a bloody battle broke out between Christians and Mohammedans, one of the brave Serbian commanders, Milos Obilic, managed to get to the tent of the Turkish Sultan and stab him with a knife. The sudden death of Sultan Murad brought confusion to the Turkish ranks, and the Serbs began to defeat the enemy. Lazarus himself fought heroically and, as one chronicler reports, “had sixteen wounds when he mounted the third horse, because two had already been killed under him.” But God's Providence prepared for the prince and his army a different end to the battle. After the death of Sultan Murad, his son Bayezid took over the leadership of the Turkish army. With a strong attack and cunning maneuvers, he managed to turn the tide of the battle. Bayezid captured and beheaded the noble king Lazar and many of his commanders.

Seeing with what dignity the Christ-loving prince accepted death, Bayezid allowed the monks to take the body of Lazarus and bury him in the Church of the Ascension in Pristina. Almost a year later, on the advice of the Serbian Patriarch, Lazar's sons Stefan and Vuk, together with the clergy and people, discovered the relics of the holy great martyr and found his body incorrupt. According to the Peč Chronicle of that time, it exuded a wonderful fragrance. Thus, the Almighty Lord gave incorruption to the body of King Lazarus as undoubted evidence of his martyrdom for Christ, a godly life and holiness. Having taken the holy relics, everyone went in procession to Ravanica. On the way, the procession was met by the honest widow of Lazar, Princess Militsa.

Relics of St. Lazarus in Ravanica

The holy body of the Great Martyr Lazarus was solemnly brought to Ravanitsa in 1391 and laid in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord. Here it rested until the great migration of the Serbs led by Patriarch Arseniy III Charnoevich in 1690, when the monks, fleeing from the Turks, left the monastery and transferred the body of the holy prince to St. Andrew. In 1697, the holy relics were transferred to Fruška Gora, where the monks renovated the Vrdnik monastery and named it New Ravanica. In Vrdnik the body of the holy great martyr Lazarus rested until the Second World War. On April 14, 1942, professor of the Faculty of Theology Radoslav Grujic transferred the relics to the cathedral in Belgrade and thereby saved it from desecration by the Croatian Ustasha fascists. At the same time, the relics of the holy King Urosh V and Prince Stefan Shtiljanovic were rescued and transferred to Belgrade. For almost half a century, the relics of the holy king Lazarus were kept in the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Belgrade. In 1989, during the celebration of the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, the relics of St. Prince Lazar were again transferred to Ravanica.

Lazar's faithful wife, Princess Milica, had difficulty ruling the Serbian country, since her son Stefan was only less than 12 years old. Bayezid's embassy arrived in Krusevac with a force for peace and the condition that the princess would send her youngest daughter Olivera to him. In order to save Serbia from further ruin, the princess was forced to agree and sent her daughter Bayezida on the condition that she would never change her Christian faith. In 1393, Militsa transferred power to her son Stefan, and she settled in the Lyubostin monastery she built and took monastic vows with the name Eugene. Before her death, she accepted the great schema with the name Euphrosyne.

Prince Stefan Lazarevich in 1403 or 1404 came to the glorious field of Kosovo and, in memory of his father and the Serbian martyrs who died with him, erected a large stone pillar made of marble here. Praise was written on it, dedicated to the feat of King Lazar and the Serbian soldiers. Such and similar praises of the holy great martyr Lazarus were written not only by his son Stephen, but also by his other contemporaries and later writers. The entire Serbian people revered King Lazar as the holy great martyr of Christ. The grateful nun Euphemia wrote wonderful praise to the holy prince, embroidering it in gold and silver letters on a silk coverlet for the shrine with his relics. The Kosovo cry of the wife and son of Prince Lazar and the rest of the Serbs was not left without consolation. “For,” as the Monk Justin (Popovich) said, “by the power and grace of God this lament turned into praise and liturgical hymns and doxologies to the holy great martyr and his hero, Christ the God-man, the Conqueror of death and the Resurrector of life.”

What does Saint Lazarus help with?

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, and he, as God’s helper, helps those who ask, restores strength and health.

• The saint helps the seriously ill who cannot walk to get back on their feet. They pray for a long time and ask him for help. They get to his tomb crawling, on all fours, as best they can.
• Those suffering from skin diseases are completely cured.
• STD patients come to him, pray, and he prolongs their lives.
• There are cases where asthma patients were healed and relapses did not recur.
• They pray to him in despondency, and he suggests a way out of the current 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 a misfortune happens to you and the doctors are powerless, pray to Lazarus. Do not despair. He will hear and heal.

Architecture and decoration

Now it is difficult to imagine what the building looked like at different times. It was built according to Byzantine traditions - an elongated rectangular shape with three apses along the facade. The interior space is divided into three separate rooms (nave) by columns.

The temple had three domes with a bell tower, which were destroyed by the Turks during their reign. They were restored in 1857 after the end of Ottoman rule.

The real decoration of the building is the carved iconostasis, which was built in 1773, almost ten years. It now houses one hundred and twenty icons.

Already in the twentieth century, in 1970, the iconostasis was severely damaged by fire. During restoration work in the lower part of the building, ancient remains were found in old sarcophagi, which were recognized as part of the relics of Christ's friend.

Thus, the Orthodox community regained its Christian shrine. Constantinople lost its own - the crusaders took the relics taken from Larnaca during the Crusades and transported them to Marseille.

Now the relics rest in a shrine, in the center of the church named after the saint - they are available to all its visitors. This is the main shrine of the cathedral. You can touch it not only during the service, but also at any time when the building is open to the public.

You can go down the stairs to the resting place of Christ's friend in the basement. The sarcophagus remained intact. A tradition has developed of placing wax figures near the sarcophagus in memory of the healing. At the entrance to the basement room there is a holy spring where you can refresh your face and take some water with you.

The external and internal appearance of the cathedral changed many times. The bell tower, demolished by the Turks, has been restored, and a gallery has been added to the historical building. In the courtyard there is a school building, erected with the money of parishioners.

The ringing of church bells gathers believers for prayer and echoes far over Larnaca. Many pilgrims travel to the island to see the famous temple and touch the relics.

Lazarus Saturday, what kind of holiday is Lazarus Saturday?

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

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

On the part 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 righteous believers and his followers will be resurrected and will receive eternal life as a reward for their faith.

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

LAZARUS FOUR DAYS. A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE RESURRECTED LAZARUS AND HIS FURTHER FATE

The holy relics of Bishop Lazarus were found in Cyprus in Kitia (now the city is called Larnaca). They lay in a marble ark, on which was written: “Lazarus the Fourth Day, friend of Christ.”

Tomb of St. Lazarus, Larnaca, Cyprus

Church of St. Lazarus, Larnaca, Cyprus. Built over the tomb of St. Lazarus.

This church contains the relics of St. Lazarus

Evidence of the Future Resurrection

Listen to the sermon of Rev. Sergia Filimonova April 8, 2021. Lazarev Saturday. “Lazarus Saturday is evidence of the future Resurrection.” About modern resuscitation.

Your brick in the construction of the House of Mercy . Work has begun on the construction of the Church of St. Basil the Great - the groundbreaking took place on February 9, 2021, names are being accepted for eternal remembrance on the piles. A road to the construction site has been built, a wash for the wheels of moving equipment has been installed, and work is underway to mark out the pile field for the temple. Support this necessary cause! Invest your brick right now!

If you cannot donate today, take a breath and pray for a common cause. Donate when you can. God bless you!

Back to list

Related materials:

• "I'll come tomorrow"

  The temptation is great when choosing between a job where you will earn less, but will be able to go to the temple of God and participate in the Sacraments of the Church, and a job that pays a lot of money, but takes up all your time. What to choose? From the sermon of Rev. Sergia Filimonova

• On the ministry of the Church in the West and in the East

  Western priests are now placed in such conditions that they are afraid of losing their flock, afraid of the closure of parishes, and therefore turn a blind eye to the sins of their parishioners. And what? Churches are still empty. From the sermon of Rev. Sergia Filimonova

• Nothing comes for free in spiritual life

  We are surprised to hear from the life of Mary of Egypt that she, being an illiterate woman, knows the Holy Scriptures perfectly. Question: where was it revealed to her? Sermon by Rev. Sergia Filimonova

The Raising of Lazarus. Painting

The Gospel story of the Raising of Lazarus has repeatedly become one of the popular themes of paintings by famous artists. Thus, such painters as Giotto, Caravaggio, Guercino, Albert van Ouwater, Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, M.V. depicted the Resurrection of Lazarus on their canvases. Nesterov.

Fragment of Giotto's fresco "The Raising of Lazarus". Written in 1304-1306

"The Raising of Lazarus" by Albert van Ouwater. Written around 1450

Caravaggio "The Raising of Lazarus" 1608-1609.

Guercino. The Raising of Lazarus. 1619 Louvre, Paris, France

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn "The Raising of Lazarus". 1630

Vincent Van Gogh. The Raising of Lazarus. 1890

M. V. Nesterov. The Raising of Lazarus. 1899-1900 Sketch for the painting of the northern wall of the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in Abastumani. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

The Raising of Lazarus. Icons

The Gospel story of the Resurrection of the Righteous Lazarus is one of the earliest images to appear in Christian fine art. Probably, the iconographic tradition of this Resurrection of Lazarus developed before the celebration of this gospel event. This plot is already present in the earliest Christian monuments that have survived to this day, in particular, in the paintings of the catacombs and the reliefs of sarcophagi.

The resurrection of righteous Lazarus. Fresco of the Giordani catacombs. Rome, IV century.

It is quite logical that the catacomb frescoes and reliefs are associated with the theme of resurrection from the dead, victory over death. It was important for the artists to express faith in liberation from original sin and the corruption and death associated with it. The plot of the Raising of Lazarus points to a future general resurrection, so it was often depicted in burial places.

The Raising of Lazarus. Miniature of the Gospel from Rossano. Diocesano Museum, Italy, 6th century.

In the early monuments of Christian art, the Resurrection of Righteous Lazarus is presented laconically, as a two-figure scene. Images of Christ during this period begin to take shape; the Savior is depicted with a beard and long hair, as well as a beardless youth. In Christ’s hand there is a light cane - an attribute of a miracle worker, a symbol of the miracles being performed, understandable to the people of that time. Over time, the cane transforms into a short rod, and then disappears altogether. God does not need an instrument to perform a miracle; His own will is sufficient. In addition, the images acquire evangelical accuracy; the text of the Gospel of John clearly indicates the Savior’s appeal to God the Father and quotes His words “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:41-43), there are no other details of the process of performing the miracle.

Artists from the eastern provinces of the empire depicted the tomb as it looked, that is, as a cave in the rocks. Gradually, the composition on the tombs is filled with details. The sisters Martha and Mary are depicted, the Jews opening the tomb, and a man removing the shrouds from the resurrected Lazarus.

Miracle of the Resurrection of Lazarus. Fresco of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary of the Snetogorsk Monastery. Pskov, 1313

The Raising of Lazarus. Fragment of an icon from the festive rite of the iconostasis of the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral. OK. 1341

The Raising of Lazarus. From the festive rite of the Church of the Assumption in the village of Volotovo near Novgorod. 1470–1480

The Raising of Lazarus. Icon from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. 2nd half of the 15th century. Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.

The Raising of Lazarus. From the festive rite of the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, Moscow. Beginning of the 15th century (1410s?)

The Raising of Lazarus. Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Second quarter of the 15th century. Sergiev Posad Museum The Resurrection of Lazarus. Comes from the festive row of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Great Tikhvin Monastery. 1560s. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

The Raising of Lazarus. Icon from the festive rite of the iconostasis of the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Yaroslavl. 1640s. Yaroslavl Historical, Architectural and Art Museum Reserve