The Orthodox Church commemorates St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, and Saint Michael Choniates, Metropolitan of Athens († 1220).
Saint Andrew is well known for his masterpiece, the Great Canon. In addition, the Orthodox Church commemorates the uncovering of the relics of Saint Anysia of Salonika.
Saint Andrew, the Archbishop of Crete, was born and raised in Damascus, Syria.
He devoted himself to ‘thyrathen’ (outside) learning, which was based on ancient Greek philosophy, to the Holy Scriptures, and the Tradition of the Church, that is, the philosophy of God.
Then, he became a monk and served by the side of Patriarch Theodore of Jerusalem, who appointed him a secretary for the Patriarchate.
The Patriarch appreciated and admired him so much for his knowledge and, therefore, he sent him as his representative at the 6th Ecumenical Council, which took place in Constantinople in AD 680.
The Ecumenical Synod was convened because Sergius I and Honorius of Rome claimed that Christ had only one will.
The Synod condemned monotheism and defined that Christ had two natures, the divine, and the human, and possessed two energies and two wills (divine and the human).
However, it was made clear that the human will was in subjection to his divine and all-powerful will.
Saint Andrew wrote the Great Canon, a poetic work through which he calls on the faithful to repent during the Great Lent.
It is served in four different parts during the first week of Great Lent and as a whole on Wednesday of the fifth week of the Great Lent.
Source: Church of Cyprus
