Orthodox Church celebrates Lazarus Saturday

The Miracle of the Resurrection of Lazarus. Photo: Nizhyn Eparchy

On April 12, 2025, the Saturday preceding Holy Week, Orthodox Christians celebrate Lazarus Saturday – one of the most significant feasts leading up to Holy Week. This day is dedicated to the remembrance of the miracle performed by Jesus Christ when He raised the righteous Lazarus, a resident of Bethany and brother of Martha and Mary, from the dead.

The story of Lazarus’s resurrection is described in detail in chapter 11 of the Gospel of John. When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus. However, the Savior deliberately delayed His arrival for two days and came to Bethany after Lazarus had already died.

Upon reaching the tomb, Jesus ordered the stone at the entrance to be removed, despite Martha’s warning that the body had already begun to decay. After a brief prayer to the Heavenly Father, the Lord cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come forth!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.

This great miracle, witnessed by many Jews who had come to comfort the sisters, became one of the most striking proofs of Christ’s divine nature and His power over death. Many who saw it believed in Jesus. The event occurred shortly before the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem and His Passion.

According to Church tradition, after his resurrection, the righteous Lazarus lived for another 30 years. Due to persecution by the Jews, who wanted to kill him as a living witness to Christ’s miraculous power, he was forced to leave Judea. He arrived on the island of Cyprus, where he was later ordained by the apostles as bishop of the city of Kition (modern-day Larnaca). There, he preached the Gospel and wisely shepherded his flock until the end of his life.

Today, the relics of Saint Lazarus rest in the city of Larnaca, Cyprus, in a church dedicated to his memory. In the 9th century, part of his relics was transferred to Constantinople, and later to France. The Church also commemorates Saint Lazarus on October 17 (October 30, according to the Julian calendar).

Lazarus Saturday and the following Palm Sunday precede Holy Week – the final week before the Feast of Pascha, which this year falls on April 20.

Theologians note that the resurrection of Lazarus serves as a foreshadowing of the universal resurrection of the dead and vividly demonstrates to believers that even death can be overcome through Christ.

As previously reported by the UOJ, on April 7 the Orthodox Church celebrated the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos – one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical year.

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