By Bishop Grigorios of Mesaoria
The Church commemorates today the translation of the relics of Righteous Lazarus of the Four Days, Bishop of Kition on Cyprus. The Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise (886-911) gave orders to transfer the relics of Saint Lazarus to Constantinople in the year 898.
We also celebrate the memory of the Prophet Hosea (Osee), Holy Martyrs and Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian, and their brothers, martyrs Leontius, Anthimus, and Eutropius, who came from Arabia, and Hieromartyr Andreas of Crete who lived in the 8th century.
Saint Andreas was taught obedience by his pious parents. He was devoted to the preaching the Holy Gospel from a very young age. During the reign of the iconoclast emperor Constantine Kopronymos, the Saint went to the palace and fearlessly denounced the emperor for his disrespect. The enraged emperor gave orders to torture Saint Andreas without mercy. His body was thrown out of the city where the corpses of criminals were placed. However, the Lord honoured the martyr in the way that He knows how to honour those who truly love Him. Thus, pious Christians buried the relics of the saint in a holy place called Krisis. That is why Saint Andreas was dubbed “in Krisis”.
SOURCE: Church of Cyprus
