Lazarus the Confessor, St.
LAZARUS THE CONFESSOR, ST.
Stylite and monastic founder; b. near Magnesia, 968;d. Mt. Galesius, Nov. 8, 1054. As a child Lazarus felt an attraction for the Holy Land and made several abortive attempts to go there. Finally he succeeded and at first took up the life of a solitary, then entered the monastery of St. Sabas near Jerusalem, where he was ordained a priest. In the neighborhood of Ephesus he founded three monasteries: one in honor of the Savior; another in honor of the Resurrection; and the Theotokos, or Mother of God, Monastery on Mt. Galesius. As a stylite living in a hut on a column near the monastery church, he directed the monastic life. He composed a rule for the monks, laying out their spiritual and temporal tasks, and insisted on special care for the poor and indigent. His vita was written by gregory ii cyprius; a second life was written by an unknown monk named Gregory in the 14th century (Biblioteca hagiographica Graeca, ed. F. Halkin, 979).
Feast: Nov. 7.
Bibliography: Biblioteca hagiographica Graeca, ed. f. halkin (Brussels 1957) 979, 980, 980e. Acta Sanctorum (Antwerp 1643– ; Venice 1734– ; Paris 1863–) Nov. 3:502–608. h. delehaye, Les Saints stylites (Brussels 1923) 106–116, 131, 160. Synaxarium ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae. Propylaeum ad Acta sanctorum novembris, ed. h. delehaye (Brussels 1902) 203–204.29, 211–212.43, 826.31.
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