For the of 766 of the same name, see Andrew of which follow the Julian Calendar, July 4 falls on July 17 Crete (martyr). of the Gregorian Calendar). Andrew of Crete (Greek: Ἀνδρέας Κρήτης, c. 650 – July 4, 712 or 726 or 740), also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was an 8th-century bishop, theologian, homilist,[1] and hymnographer. He is venerated as a saint by Eastern Orthodox and Roman Christians. 2 Hymnography

Today, Saint Andrew is primarily known as a hymno- 1 Life grapher. He is credited with the invention (or at least the introduction into Orthodox liturgical services) of the Born in Damascus of Christian parents, Andrew was a canon, a new form of hymnody. Previously, the por- mute from birth until the age of seven, when, accord- tion of the Matins serrains inserted between the scrip- ing to his hagiographers, he was miraculously cured after ture verses. Saint Andrew expanded these refrains into receiving Holy Communion. He began his ecclesiastical fully developed poetic Odes, each of which begins with career at fourteen in the Lavra of St. Sabbas the Sanc- the theme (Irmos) of the scriptural canticle, but then goes tified, near Jerusalem, where he quickly gained the no- on to expound the theme of the feast being celebrated tice of his superiors. Theodore, the locum tenens of that day (whether the Lord, the , a saint, the the Patriarchate of Jerusalem (745–770) made him his departed, etc.). Archdeacon, and sent him to the imperial capital of His masterpiece, the Great Canon (also known as the Constantinople as his official representative at the Sixth Canon of Repentance or the Great Canon of Repentance), (680–681), which had been called is the longest canon ever composed (250 strophes). It is by the Emperor Constantine Pogonatus, to counter the written primarily in the first person, and goes chronologi- heresy of Monothelitism. cally through the entire Old and New Testaments drawing Shortly after the Council he was summoned back to Con- examples (both negative and positive) which it correlates stantinople from Jerusalem and was appointed Archdea- to the need of the sinful soul for repentance and a humble con at the “” of Hagia Sophia. Eventu- return to God. It is divided into four parts (called methy- ally, Andrew was appointed to the metropolitan see of mony) which are chanted at Great Compline on the first Gortyna, in Crete. Although he had been an oppo- four nights of Great Lent (one part per night); later, it is nent of the Monothelite heresy, he nevertheless attended chanted in its entirety at Matins on Thursday of the fifth the conciliabulum of 712, in which the decrees of the week of Great Lent. Ecumenical Council were abolished. But in the following Twenty-four canons are reputed to have been written by year he repented and returned to orthodoxy. Thereafter, Saint Andrew of Crete. Of these, we can be more or less he occupied himself with preaching, composing hymns, certain that he wrote fourteen, including: the canons for etc. As a preacher, his discourses are known for their dig- the Resurrection of Lazarus (chanted at Compline on the nified and harmonious phraseology, for which he is con- Saturday—i.e., Friday night—before Palm Sunday); the sidered to be one of the foremost ecclesiastical orators of Conception of St. Anne (9 December); the Maccabean the Byzantine epoch. (1 August); St. (20 Decem- Church historians are not of the same opinion as to the ber), as well as four Triodia, and no fewer than one hun- date of his death. What is known is that he died on the dred and seven irmoi. island of Mytilene, while returning to Crete from Con- stantinople, where he had been on church business. His were later transferred to Constantinople. In the year 1350 the pious Russian pilgrim Stefan of Novgorod saw his relics at the Monastery of Saint Andrew of Crete in 3 See also Constantinople. The feast day of Saint Andrew of Crete is July 4 on the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar (for those churches • List of Catholic

1 2 5 EXTERNAL LINKS

4 Notes

[1] A list of forty of his discourses, together with twenty- one edited sermons, is given in Patrologia Graeca, XCVII, 801-1304.

5 External links

• St Andrew of Crete Orthodox Icon and Synaxarion

• Saint Andrew, of Crete Prolog from Ochrid (July 4)

• Andrew of Crete - Encomium on St Nicholas of Myra - English translation of Oration 18.

• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Andrew of Crete". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. • Great Canon article from OrthodoxWiki

• Great Canon of Saint Andrew in Old Church Slavonic

• Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete in Parallel Ukrainian and English texts • Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, First Week of the Great Fast — in English • Orthros with the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, Thursday of the Fifth Week of the Great Fast in Parallel Ukrainian and English texts 3

6 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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6.2 Images

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6.3 Content license

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