On the day before Palm Sunday, Lazarus Saturday is celebrated. The church commemorates the resurrection of righteous Lazarus, one of the iconic miracles performed by Jesus Christ.
Saint Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary, lived with his sisters not far from Jerusalem. Christ often visited their house, and called Lazarus his friend.
Once a man fell ill, and when the news of this reached Christ, he said:
“This is a disease not to death, but to the glory of God, so the Son of God will be glorified through it.” Lazarus died four days before Jesus came. After that, Christ resurrected the dead. The news of the miracle quickly spread throughout Judea. The grandeur and glory of this event were the reason for Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The enraptured people hailed Christ as their Messiah.
The Church considers the resurrection of Lazarus to be a symbol of the fact that life and death of a person are subject to the Lord, and the hope for the future resurrection of all the dead who believed in Christ and obeyed his commandments.
The celebration of Lazarus Saturday has been established since ancient times. Easter carols are sung the morning before. On Saturday itself, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom is served. At the same time, the priests changed their dark clothes to festive white ones.
