This evening, several of the monks came over after vespers to dine with our family (we are at Gethsemane visiting Br. Matthias). I sat across from and had a nice visit with Br. Lazarus. Tonight I share a little about his Patron Saint.
St. Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Lazarus of the Four Days Dead in the Eastern Orthodox Church, was the brother of Martha and Mary. Their story is featured in the Gospel of John. Personal opinion - the Gospel story tells us more about the sisters' faith than it does about Lazarus', but you can't deny he was a major part of the story.
The name Lazarus is latinized from the Aramaic Eleazar, meaning "God is my help." Nothing is said in scripture about what happened to him after Jesus raised him from the dead. Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic tradition differ on his later life. He is most often associated with Cyprus and Provance. In each tradition he is said to have been a Bishop. More about these stories can be found on Wikipedia.
In the West, we celebrate St. Lazarus' feast on December 17. In the East, it's celebrated on either March 17 or October 17.
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