St. Lazarus

St. Lazarus of Bethany was a beloved friend of Jesus and the brother of Martha and Mary, at whose home near Jerusalem the Lord often stayed. He is remembered chiefly for the greatest of Christ's recorded miracles: when Lazarus had died and lain four days in the tomb, Jesus wept, then called out, "Lazarus, come forth," and raised him to life, a sign that prefigured Christ's own Resurrection and moved many to believe.

Scripture records nothing certain of his later life, but two ancient traditions honor him. An Eastern tradition holds that he became bishop of Kition on Cyprus, where his tomb is venerated, while a Western tradition associates him with Provence in France. Because he had passed through death and returned, he became a powerful symbol of the resurrection promised to all the faithful, and his name was given to the leper hospitals and the Order of St. Lazarus. Since 2021 he is celebrated with his sisters on 29 July.