The penitential canon of Andrew of Crete is the door to Great Lent. About St. Andrew of Crete and his penitential canon

(~660–740)

Childhood of Andrew of Crete. The Beginning of the Christian Path

There are not many reliable details about the life of Andrew of Crete. His birthplace is the Syrian city of Damascus. As for the date of his birth, it is determined very approximately: the first half or the middle of the 7th century.

It is known that up to the age of seven Andrei suffered from dumbness, from which he was healed. Divine power as a result of communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. This miracle, of course, left an indelible impression in the memory of the child, served as a reason for strengthening faith, affirming the choice of a life path.

At about the age of 14-15, having decided to put aside the bustle of the world and be closer to God, Andrei retired to the Jerusalem monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified. Here, in addition to the labors associated with obedience and prayer, he devoted himself to a deep study of the Holy Scriptures and the works of the Fathers of the Church.

Having shown himself to be a pious and zealous ascetic, some time later he was appointed to the responsible position of clerk at the court of Theodore, head of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, which, however, did not prevent him from taking care of his personal salvation and leading an ascetic life.

One of the most important stages in the life of St. Andrew was participation in the activities of the VI Ecumenical Council, convened in order to counter the heresy of the Monothelites, to which he was delegated together with other trusted persons. Returning to Jerusalem, he brought with him a list of council definitions.

Soon Andrei was consecrated a deacon of the Sophia Church by the Patriarch of Constantinople, when he arrived in Constantinople at his invitation (according to other biographical data, while present at the Council, he already had the rank of archdeacon). It is noted that for some time Father Andrey played the role of a trustee for orphans at the St. Sophia Church.

Serving God as an Archpastor

The glory of the exploits of Father Andrew and his personal qualities, such as mercy, eloquence, sense of responsibility, served to ensure that in the reign of Emperor Justinian II he was awarded the consecration of the Archbishop of Crete. Occupying this position, Saint Andrew devoted much time and effort to the struggle for purity. Orthodox faith. In addition, on his archpastoral initiative and with his personal assistance, new churches were erected, almshouses and shelters were organized.

Devoting himself to the cause of serving and pleasing God, the saint also became famous as a great prayer book. It is reported that one day the result of his prayers was the salvation of the city of Drumeos from the Saracens besieging it, who, having not succeeded, were forced to shamefully retreat. Another time, during a drought that threatened the population with a crop failure, through his prayer, rain poured down on the soil.

It is believed that the archpastor lived to deep gray hair. Being already at a venerable age, he went to Constantinople for ecclesiastical needs. On the way back, reaching Mitylene, he fell ill, and soon died. There is evidence that this happened in a place called Ieris, in 712. Meanwhile, other sources date the time of his death to 740. It is said that the saint foresaw his death in advance.

Creativity of Andrei of Crete as a writer and songwriter

During the years of a mature ascetic life, Saint Andrew of Crete gained fame in the field of writing and songwriting. Dozens of his works have come down to us. Among them, there are words for the Theotokos and the Lord's holidays (read:;;;;).

One of the most famous works saint - the Great Canon, now read in churches during Great Lent. True, its modern text contains certain changes and additions made, in particular, Reverend John Damascus, Saints Joseph and Theodore the Studites (see:). Beyond Display Old Testament history and moral instructions, the canon displays and personal experience experiences, repentance, blessed communion of St. Andrew of Crete with God.

Troparion to St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, tone 4

The Church of Christ with the crown of your tongue, / singing touchingly, rejoiced you, / with the theology of the Holy Trinity / you said glory to everyone clearly, / we sing to you, as a secret verbal speaker, / Andrea, the shepherd of Crete, / and magnify your memory, / glorifying Christ wondrous in His saints.

John troparion to St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, tone 4

The rule of faith and the image of meekness, / the abstinence of the teacher / reveal thee to your flock, / The truth of things. / For this sake, you acquired high humility, / rich in poverty, / Father Andrew, / pray to Christ God / save our souls.

St. Andrew of Crete is widely known to the Orthodox people, primarily thanks to the great Penitential Canon, of which He is the author. Actually, in the common people, the canon is called that, the canon of Andrew of Crete. It is read on the first four days of the first week of Great Lent and on the 4th week in "Marino Standing". Moreover, if in the first week it is divided into 4 parts, then in "Marino Standing" the whole is read at once. And this is 250 troparia!

In general, it is believed that such a church work as the Canon was first introduced into church use by Andrew of Crete.

Life of Andrew of Crete

From the biography we learn that the saint was born mute. His parents were believing Christians. And then one day, seven years after his birth after receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ, the Lord opened the boy's mouth and he was able to speak. And seven years later, the young man went to the monastery of Savva the Sanctified, on Mount Athos.

Even reading the canon, we can see that Andrew of Crete was well acquainted with Holy Scripture and Tradition. This can be seen even in the abundance of biographical and existential references that refer us either to some Old Testament righteous man, or to some biblical event. In addition, the spiritual component was not hidden from the saint. This was also seen by his contemporaries. Excellent poetic data and the talent of the preacher did not go unnoticed. Andrew of Crete was soon ordained to the rank of archdeacon. It was also decided to appoint him as a special envoy of the Patriarch of Jerusalem at the Seventh Ecumenical Council.

According to the commandment of Christ, not burying talents in the ground, but multiplying them by St. Andrei proved to be a worthy pastor and in a short time would have been awarded the Episcopal baton. The place of his ministry was the island of Crete. It is now that Crete is known for its olive oil, and in those days he (Fr. Crete) produced not only olives, but also saints ...

The relics of the saint rest in Constantinople, although Andrew of Crete died on the island of Lesbos, and was originally buried there.

Iconography

Most of the icons of St. Andrew of Crete are traditionally half-length, but there are also full-length images. You can also find some "hagiographic", event icons depicting some moments from the life of the saint. Unfortunately, there is a lot of information on the Internet that needs to be double-checked. So, we had to stumble upon the icons of St. Andrew, which were signed as "the icon of the Martyr Andrew of Crete." Meanwhile, he is glorified in the guise of saints. Actually, the hierarch's "regalia" are also present on the icons. These are crosses on vestments and the Gospel in hand.

Saint Andrew of Crete is one of the greatest hymnographers of the Church. He was not a resident of the island of Lesbos, but was buried in the village of Eresos on Lesvos and for this reason is revered along with the saints who shone on Lesbos.

Saint Andrew had a gift from God to compose church hymns. His hymns show not only the warmth of his faith and love for Christ, but also his amazing erudition and divine wisdom. One of his creations - "The Great Canon" is sung on the fifth week of Lent and is an amazing poetic work.

From Crete, where St. Andrew carried out his hierarchical activity, he went to Constantinople on the business of his region, but on the way back he fell ill on the ship, when it was at sea near the village of Ereso on Lesbos. The captain was forced to suspend the voyage and land in the port of Ereso. Then the saint asked where they were and when he was told that this was the village of Ereso, which was known for the religiosity of its inhabitants, he said: “here I will commit my soul to God” and immediately rested in the Lord in 740. However, there is other evidence in the synaxaries that St. Andrew remained in Ereso for some time and wrote his Great Canon here. His relics were buried with great honors behind the altar in a large and famous for its mosaics basilica, which today is known as the "Basilica of St. Andrew."

Some time later, Christians arrived from Crete, who took away the relics of the saint, leaving only some parts of his bones, which are now preserved in the monasteries of Ipsilou and Limonos.

The inhabitants of Ereso preserved the tomb of the saint, and when he was officially canonized a saint, they built a small temple over it in his honor.

Preserved mosaic floor of an ancient basilica

The three-part basilica, the ruins of which are preserved to this day, was originally dedicated to St. Andrew, or, most likely, St. John the Baptist. The fact is that the walls of a small ancient chapel in honor of St. John the Baptist, whose veneration apparently continued until the 7th century. The change in the name of the temple dates back to 740 and is due to the burial in the basilica of the Cretan Archbishop Andrew, who, upon returning from Constantinople, died on a ship sailing past Ereso.

The basilica was discovered during excavations carried out by the monks of the Pithariou monastery in 1884-1885. An inscription on the western side of the mosaic floor in the middle part of the basilica mentions Bishop John, who is identified as the bishop representing the Christians of the island of Lesvos on the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in 431. The mention of a specific bishop led to the dating of the basilica in the first half of the 5th century. In this way, we are talking about one of the largest basilicas in Lesvos rectangular shape. It has a three-part form and consists of a narthex (the place where the catechumens stood), the central part (the place of the faithful) and the altar. The apse inside the altar had a semicircular shape, and outside it was a polyhedron. This form originates from Syria, which also spread to Asia Minor.

In the Orthodox Church, memory is celebrated on July 4 (according to the Julian calendar).

biography

It is believed that St. Andrew of Crete invented, or at least first introduced into the Byzantine liturgical service, the very form of the canon. The authorship of Andrew of Crete is attributed to about 70 canons.

Great penitential canon

Andrei Kritsky is known as the author Great Penitential Canon, the text of which is in the Lenten Triodion and consists of 250 troparia (stanzas) and is considered the longest canon in existence. According to Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, this canon " can be described as penitent crying, revealing to us all the immensity, the whole abyss of sin, shaking the soul with despair, repentance and hope» .

The Great Penitential Canon is one of the earliest canons, so it is distinguished by some features: it is a collection of refrains or troparia to biblical songs. Irmoses are verses from biblical songs, rarely supplemented by a songwriter. The Great Canon contains 9 cantos; this is one of the few canons that have preserved the 2nd canto in our time.

In almost every song of the canon, 2 parts can be distinguished: 1st - a conversation with your soul about your sins and the means to correct them; 2nd - a prayer cry to God for mercy. To review his sins, he considers the biblical story: in 8 songs, mainly the Old Testament and in 1 - 7 songs episodically, mainly at the end of the 8th and in the 9th - the New Testament, pointing to examples of sins and sinners in reproach to his soul for imitating them and bringing the righteous as positive examples to emulate. The saint sees himself as a deeply sinful person who has surpassed others in sin.

2 rows of hymns adjoin the canon: 16 troparia “Blessed” (apparently compiled together with the canon) and 24 alphabetic stichera (having an alphabetic acrostic), now read or sung to the Lord, cry out.

For the first time, the liturgical use of the Great Canon was recorded in the monuments of the Studial tradition, in Hypotyposis and others. The canon itself appears already in the most ancient Lenten triodes that have come down to us (X-XI centuries). According to these sources, his singing was prescribed for the 5th week of Great Lent, but the day of the week varies.

This service is very long and takes place especially majestically among the Old Believers, who during the seven-hour continuous service make about a thousand bows to the earth, since the Old Believers in practice follow the statutory instructions on bowing to the ground during the service.

to the Grand Canon in different time made comments:

In music

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Notes

They also call 726 years
Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume II. - M .: Church-Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia" ISBN 5-89572-007-2
(English)
// Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume II. - M .: Church-Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia", 2001. - S. 64-65. - 752 p. - 40,000 copies. - ISBN 5-89572-007-2
We create for each troparion throwing 3- Typicon, after Great Compline on Monday of the first week of Great Lent and Matins on Thursday of the fifth week of Lent
In the modern liturgical practice of the Russian Orthodox Church, the statutory instructions on bowing to the ground are not carried out in all parishes and monasteries
"It is spoken literally about throwing, which should not be understood as "small prostrations"," Throwing is the essence: bow to the belt like relics to the ground with your hand to reach, and hit the ground with your forehead with a great bow "()
Vissarion (Nechaev), bishop. Lessons of Repentance in the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, borrowed from biblical stories. SPb., 1897 - 3rd ed.
Philip (Simonov), abbot. School of Repentance: Scholia in the Margins of the Great Canon. - M.: Palomnik, 2008.
. Valaam, St. Nicholas Skete. 1998
Oleg Pogudin.

Literature

// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
// Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume II. - M .: Church and Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia", 2001. - S. 352-355. - 752 p. - 40,000 copies. - ISBN 5-89572-007-2
// Orthodox Encyclopedia. Volume VII. - M .: Church-Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia", 2004. - S. 453-454. - 752 p. - 39,000 copies. - ISBN 5-89572-010-2
Kirillin V. M."Great penitential canon" of St. Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, in Old Russian revision // Ancient Russia. Medieval Questions. 2003. No. 3 (13). pp. 79-94.

An excerpt characterizing Andrew of Crete

He, that procrastinator Kutuzov, whose motto is patience and time, is an enemy decisive action, He gives battle of Borodino, dressing the preparations for it in unparalleled solemnity. He, that Kutuzov, who in the battle of Austerlitz, before it began, says that it will be lost, in Borodino, despite the assurances of the generals that the battle is lost, despite the unheard-of example in history that after the battle won, the army must retreat , he alone, in opposition to everyone, claims until his death that the Battle of Borodino is a victory. He alone during the entire retreat insists on not giving battles, which are now useless, not starting new war and do not cross the borders of Russia.
Now it is easy to understand the meaning of an event, unless we apply to the activity of masses of goals that were in the head of a dozen people, since the whole event with its consequences lies before us.
But how then is this an old man, one, contrary to the opinion of everyone, could guess, so correctly guessed then the meaning of the popular meaning of the event, that he never betrayed him in all his activity?
The source of this extraordinary power of insight into the meaning of occurring phenomena lay in that popular feeling, which he carried within himself in all its purity and strength.
Only the recognition of this feeling in him made the people, in such strange ways, from an old man who was in disfavor, choose him against the will of the tsar to be representatives of the people's war. And only this feeling put him on that highest human height, from which he, the commander-in-chief, directed all his forces not to kill and exterminate people, but to save and pity them.
This simple, modest and therefore truly majestic figure could not fit into that deceitful form of a European hero, supposedly controlling people, which history invented.
For a lackey there can be no great person, because the lackey has his own idea of greatness.

November 5 was the first day of the so-called Krasnensky battle. Before evening, when, after many disputes and mistakes of the generals, who went to the wrong place; after dispatches of adjutants with counter-orders, when it had already become clear that the enemy was fleeing everywhere and that there could not be and would not be a battle, Kutuzov left Krasnoye and went to Dobroe, where the main apartment had been transferred that day.
The day was clear and frosty. Kutuzov, with a huge retinue of generals who were dissatisfied with him, whispering after him, rode on his fat white horse to Good. All along the road crowded, warming themselves by the fires, lots of French prisoners taken this day (there were seven thousand of them taken that day). Not far from Dobry, a huge crowd of ragged, bandaged and wrapped with whatever prisoners buzzed in conversation, standing on the road near a long line of unharnessed French guns. As the commander-in-chief approached, the conversation fell silent, and all eyes stared at Kutuzov, who, in his white hat with a red band and a wadded overcoat, sitting with a hump on his stooped shoulders, slowly moved along the road. One of the generals reported to Kutuzov where the guns and prisoners were taken.
Kutuzov seemed to be preoccupied with something and did not hear the words of the general. He screwed up his eyes in displeasure and peered attentively and intently into those figures of prisoners who presented a particularly pitiful appearance. Most of the faces of the French soldiers were disfigured by frostbitten noses and cheeks, and almost all had red, swollen and festering eyes.
One group of Frenchmen stood close to the road, and two soldiers - the face of one of them was covered with sores - were tearing a piece of raw meat. There was something terrible and animal in that cursory glance that they threw at the passersby, and in that vicious expression with which the soldier with sores, looking at Kutuzov, immediately turned away and continued his work.
Kutuzov looked at these two soldiers for a long time; Wrinkling even more, he narrowed his eyes and shook his head thoughtfully. In another place, he noticed a Russian soldier, who, laughing and patting the Frenchman on the shoulder, said something affectionately to him. Kutuzov again shook his head with the same expression.
- What are you saying? What? he asked the general, who continued to report and drew the attention of the commander-in-chief to the French taken banners that stood in front of the front of the Preobrazhensky regiment.
- Ah, banners! - said Kutuzov, apparently with difficulty breaking away from the subject that occupied his thoughts. He looked around absently. Thousands of eyes from all sides, waiting for his word, looked at him.
In front of the Preobrazhensky Regiment he stopped, sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Someone from the retinue waved for the soldiers holding the banners to come up and place them around the commander-in-chief with flagpoles. Kutuzov was silent for several seconds and, apparently reluctantly, obeying the necessity of his position, raised his head and began to speak. Crowds of officers surrounded him. He scanned the circle of officers with a keen eye, recognizing some of them.
– Thank you all! he said, addressing the soldiers and again to the officers. In the silence that reigned around him, his slowly spoken words were clearly audible. “Thank you all for your hard and faithful service. The victory is perfect, and Russia will not forget you. Glory to you forever! He paused, looking around.
“Bend down, bend down his head,” he said to the soldier who held the French eagle and accidentally lowered it in front of the banner of the Transfiguration. “Lower, lower, that’s it. Hooray! guys, - with a quick movement of your chin, turn to the soldiers, he said.
- Hooray ra ra! roared thousands of voices. While the soldiers were shouting, Kutuzov, bent over in his saddle, bowed his head, and his eye lit up with a meek, as if mocking, gleam.
“That’s what, brothers,” he said when the voices fell silent ...
And suddenly his voice and facial expression changed: the commander-in-chief stopped talking, and a simple, old man spoke up, obviously wanting to tell his comrades something very necessary.
There was a movement in the crowd of officers and in the ranks of the soldiers in order to hear more clearly what he would say now.
“Here’s the thing, brethren. I know it's hard for you, but what can you do! Be patient; not long left. We'll send the guests out, then we'll have a rest. For your service, the king will not forget you. It is difficult for you, but you are still at home; and they - see what they have come to, ”he said, pointing to the prisoners. - Worse than the last beggars. While they were strong, we did not feel sorry for ourselves, but now you can feel sorry for them. They are also people. So guys?
He looked around him, and in the stubborn, respectfully bewildered glances fixed on him, he read sympathy for his words: his face became brighter and brighter from the senile meek smile, puckering up in stars at the corners of his lips and eyes. He paused and lowered his head as if in bewilderment.
- And then say, who called them to us? Serves them right, m ... and ... in g .... he suddenly said, raising his head. And, waving his whip, he galloped, for the first time in the whole campaign, away from the joyfully laughing and roaring cheers, upsetting the ranks of the soldiers.
The words spoken by Kutuzov were hardly understood by the troops. No one would have been able to convey the contents of the first solemn and at the end of the ingenuously old man's speech of the field marshal; but the heartfelt meaning of this speech was not only understood, but that same, that same feeling of majestic triumph, combined with pity for the enemies and the consciousness of one’s rightness, expressed by this, precisely this old man’s, good-natured curse, is the very (feeling lay in the soul of every soldier and was expressed in a joyful, long-lasting cry.When after that one of the generals turned to him with the question of whether the commander-in-chief would order the carriage to arrive, Kutuzov, answering, unexpectedly sobbed, apparently being in great agitation.

November 8 is the last day of the Krasnensky battles; it was already getting dark when the troops arrived at the place of lodging for the night. The whole day was quiet, frosty, with light, rare snow falling; By evening it became clear. A black-purple starry sky was visible through the snowflakes, and the frost began to intensify.
The musketeer regiment, which had left Tarutino at the number of three thousand, now, at the number of nine hundred men, was one of the first to arrive at the appointed place of lodging for the night, in a village on the main road. The quartermasters, who met the regiment, announced that all the huts were occupied by sick and dead Frenchmen, cavalrymen and headquarters. There was only one hut for the regimental commander.
The regimental commander drove up to his hut. The regiment passed through the village and at the outermost huts on the road put the guns in the goats.
Like a huge, multi-membered animal, the regiment set to work arranging its lair and food. One part of the soldiers dispersed, knee-deep in snow, into the birch forest, which was to the right of the village, and immediately the sound of axes, cleavers, the crack of breaking branches and cheerful voices was heard in the forest; another part busied about the center of the regimental carts and horses, put in a pile, taking out boilers, crackers and giving food to the horses; the third part scattered in the village, arranging quarters for headquarters, picking out the dead bodies of the French that lay in the huts, and taking away boards, dry firewood and straw from the roofs for fires and wattle for protection.
About fifteen soldiers behind the huts, from the edge of the village, with a cheerful cry, were swinging the high wattle fence of the shed, from which the roof had already been removed.
- Well, well, at once, lean on! shouted voices, and in the darkness of the night a huge wattle fence covered with snow swayed with a frosty crack. The lower stakes cracked more and more often, and finally the wattle fence collapsed along with the soldiers pressing on it. There was a loud rudely joyful cry and laughter.
- Take two! give the rocha here! like this. Where are you going then?
- Well, at once ... Yes, stop, guys! .. With a shout!
Everyone fell silent, and a soft, velvety pleasant voice sang a song. At the end of the third stanza, right at the end of the last sound, twenty voices cried out in unison: “Uuuu! Goes! Together! Come on, kids!..” But, despite the united efforts, the wattle fence did not move much, and heavy panting was heard in the established silence.
- Hey you, the sixth company! Damn, devils! Help ... we will also come in handy.
The sixth company of about twenty, walking to the village, joined the dragging; and the wattle fence, five sazhens long and a sazhen wide, bent, pressing and cutting the shoulders of the puffing soldiers, moved forward along the village street.
- Go, or something ... Fall, eka ... What have you become? That's it ... Cheerful, ugly curses did not stop.
- What's wrong? - suddenly I heard the commanding voice of a soldier who ran into the carriers.
- The Lord is here; in the hut the anaral himself, and you, devils, devils, swindlers. I'll! - shouted the sergeant major and with a swing hit the first soldier who turned up in the back. - Can't it be quiet?
The soldiers fell silent. The soldier, who had been hit by the sergeant-major, began, groaning, to wipe his face, which he had torn into blood when he stumbled upon the wattle fence.
“Look, damn it, how he fights!” I’ve already bloodied my whole face, ”he said in a timid whisper, when the sergeant-major walked away.
- You don't like Ali? said a laughing voice; and, moderating the sounds of the voices, the soldiers went on. Having got out of the village, they again spoke just as loudly, sprinkling the conversation with the same aimless curses.
In the hut, past which the soldiers were passing, the highest authorities gathered, and over tea there was a lively conversation about the past day and the proposed maneuvers of the future. It was supposed to make a flank march to the left, cut off the Viceroy and capture him.
When the soldiers dragged the wattle fence, the fires of the kitchens were already flaring up from different sides. Firewood crackled, snow melted, and the black shadows of the soldiers scurried back and forth across the entire occupied, trampled in the snow space.
Axes, cleavers worked from all sides. Everything was done without any order. Firewood was dragged in reserve for the night, huts for the authorities were fenced in, pots were boiled, guns and ammunition were handled.
The wattle fence brought by the eighth company was placed in a semicircle from the north side, supported by bipods, and a fire was laid out in front of it. They struck the dawn, made a calculation, had dinner and settled down for the night by the fires - some repairing shoes, some smoking a pipe, some naked, evaporating lice.

It would seem that in those almost unimaginably difficult conditions of existence in which Russian soldiers were at that time - without warm boots, without sheepskin coats, without a roof over their heads, in snow at 18 ° below zero, without even a full amount of provisions, not always keeping up with the army - it seemed that the soldiers should have presented the saddest and most depressing sight.
On the contrary, never, in the best material conditions, did the army present a more cheerful, lively spectacle. This was due to the fact that every day everything that began to lose heart or weaken was thrown out of the army. Everything that was physically and morally weak has long been left behind: there was only one color of the army - according to the strength of spirit and body.

Life of Saint Andrew of Crete

The birthplace of Saint Andrew of Crete was ancient city Damascus. The time of his birth is determined about the middle of the 7th century, and it was shortly before the conquest of Damascus by the Muslims, which happened, as you know, in 633 A.D., during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Pagonato. Information about the childhood and youth of the saint, preserved for us by history, is extremely scarce. It is known that Andrei was the son of pious parents and remained mute for seven years. miraculous power the holy sacrament of communion of the Body and Blood of Christ opened the mouths of the seven-year-old youth Andrei, the future preacher of repentance, showing by this, as the Prologue says, "how great is the power in the most pure mysteries." Piously disposed from childhood, Saint Andrew, after miraculous healing, with all his soul indulged in the study of Russian scriptures, the reading of which became his favorite pastime. well-read in Holy Scripture and patristic writings, the saint very early felt in himself an inclination towards a solitary monastic life. Already in the fourteenth year he left the world and withdrew to the Jerusalem monastery of Saint Sava the Sanctified. Here Andrei led a strictly ascetic life, steadily fulfilling all the lofty vows of monasticism. In time, St. Andrew took the position of notary (clerk) of the Palestine monastery. At that time, the Jerusalem patriarchal throne was occupied by Saint Sophronius, under whose leadership the future pastor of the Cretan Church “is so virtuous, in chastity, abstinence and meekness, he goes through life, as if the patriarch himself would be surprised at that, and be pleasing to God and useful to everyone.”

As is known, during the reign of Saint Sophronius as the Patriarchal See of Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem was conquered by Muslims. After the blissful death of Patriarch Sofroniy, the ruler of the patriarchate (there was no patriarch then due to oppression from the Mohammedans), Theodore, knowing the strict ascetic life of the monk Andrei, assigned him the position of syncellus (secretary). Together with the great sorrows and hardships that she must have experienced at this time Christian church from external enemies - Muslims, she had to experience no less grief and misfortune from the internal enemy - the heresies of the Monothelites. This heresy infected not only the people and the clergy, but even Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople himself. To pacify the unrest generated in the Ecumenical Church by the Monothelites, it was necessary to convene an Ecumenical Council. “In that cathedral, Blessed Andrew was notable to be created the holy father and the king himself, for the grace of the Holy Spirit, even more filled, for they could see in him not only the wisdom of the book and in the Orthodox Church of the holy dogmas art, but also a shrine of God-pleasing life: against heretics the good warrior Jesus Christ appeared and helped the cathedral of saints a lot, the father, fighting hard for piety ”(Prologue). Having discovered such a glorious activity at the VI Ecumenical Council (680), which recognized in our Lord Jesus Christ, respectively, two natures (Divine and human), equally and two wills, Saint Andrew returned from Constantinople to Jerusalem, so that here, at the Holy Sepulcher, he would finish and their very monastic exploits. As before, he continued to labor diligently here in fasting and prayer, and with greater zeal to study the Word of God and the works of the Holy Fathers. The holy life and exploits of the Jerusalem ascetic, which forever gave him the name of Jerusalemite, the glory of his exploits in the fight against heretics, rare eloquence and ardent love for composing church hymns, which received universal fame, were the reasons that the Patriarch of Constantinople again summoned him to Constantinople. Here, the pious Jerusalem ascetic Monk Andrei was soon consecrated to the rank of deacon of the great Sophia Church, with the Tsaregrad Patriarch entrusting him with the new post of "orphan-giver". For the meek and humble ascetic of Jerusalem, this new position was most to his liking, in which he truly appeared to be everything to everyone, embracing everyone with his pious love. Father of all the oppressed, intercessor of widows and orphans, feeder of the hungry and healer of the sick, Saint Andrew "is so diligent in everything, as if he were working for Christ himself" (Prologue).

A great ascetic and worker of Christian mercy, a skilled creator of church teachings and hymns, a man of high spiritual enlightenment and piety, an active Jerusalemite, Deacon Andrei was soon noticed by representatives of the Church of Constantinople, which unanimously elected him to the archiepiscopal see of the ancient Christian island of Crete. General and unanimous election Church of Constantinople approved by Emperor Justinian II. The glory of the former ascetic life in Jerusalem shone with its rays on St. Andrew on the episcopal see of Crete. At the same time, he appeared before his flock fully armed with spiritual gifts. The Holy Shepherd of Crete, with his labors, teachings and sacred hymns, pouring out true wisdom and filled with sublime Orthodox Christian thoughts, abundantly nourished the souls of his flock, enlivening, edifying and instructing them in the truths of faith and piety. Together, God-wise Andrew carefully guarded his flock from the infection that still continued to nest in the bowels of the Universal Church of the Monothelite heresy. “He is terrible for heretics, like an invincible ascetic” (Prologue).

Diligently guarding the souls of her flock, the holy shepherd of the Cretan Church was for her a warm intercessor before God in a time of grave trials to which she was subjected from external enemies. The island of Crete, as narrated in the same Prologue, was attacked by the Saracens “and the city of Drumeos, named, in it the Christians with their shepherd Saint Andrew shut themselves up, fought hard, with no success and ran away with shame, not persecuted by weapons, but by stronger than any weapons, holy prayers , even with tears to God, shed, and with those arrows, wound the enemies; much more I can do that with prayers, and the rain during the time of dryness and dry land will come down and water the Cretan land and make it fruitful. “Remaining Orthodox,” the saint himself says in his word on the Circumcision of the Lord, pointing to the happy deliverance from the invasion of the barbarians of the island of Crete and the islands surrounding it, “we avoided the fear of tongues and the islands received salvation - those church islands that were in danger under the Agarians” .

The valiant shepherd of Crete, who worked so hard for the good of the Church of Christ, died, as can be assumed with the greatest justice, in 712 A.D.

The time of the hierarchal reign of the blessed Andrew, so fruitful for the Cretan Church, did not last long. Most of his life was devoted to the Church of Jerusalem, where he spent the great deeds of a monk, and then in the rank of deacon of the great Sophia Church in Constantinople. Regarding the time of the management of the holy Cretan episcopal see in the synaxarion to the saint, we read: Shortly before his blessed death, the Cretan pastor, for the needs of his Church, traveled to Constantinople, from where, not far from the island of Mytilene, he accepted his blessed death. “Go to Constantinople for the sake of church needs,” we read in the life of the death of St. Andrew, “and be there for the benefit of many. Those who seek salvation for their souls flock to him. Having to return home from Constantinople, foreseeing his death, kissing his friends about Christ, saying that they should not see Crete. Having sailed to the island of Mitylene, having fallen ill and in a certain place, called Jeres, I betrayed my holy soul in the hands of God, well saved the herd of verbal sheep entrusted to him and was made to eat in the person of the holy hierarchs who are coming to the throne of the Holy Trinity. Stefan of Novgorod saw his holy relics around 1350 in Constantinople in the monastery named after him. The memory of St. Andrew of Crete is celebrated according to the Menaion on July 4 (July 21, according to the new style), and according to the Lenten Triodion along with the Great Canon.