December
17
Saints of the Day...and Events

Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, the brother of Martha and Mary, was the one of whom the Jews said, "See how much he loved him." In their sight Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. (John 11).
He is a patron of France, and the main central railroad of Paris is called "St. Lazarus". A Western legend has the oarless boat arriving in Gaul. There he was the first bishop of Marseilles, was martyred after making a number of converts and was buried in a cave. His relics were transferred to the new cathedral in Autun in 1146.
He is supposed to have left a written account of what he saw in the next world before he was called back to life. Some say he followed Peter into Syria. Another story is that despite being put into a leaking boat by the Jews at Jaffa, he, his sisters and others landed safely in Cyprus. There he died peacefully after serving as bishop for 30 years.
A church was built in his honor in Constantinople and some of his reputed relics were transferred there in 890.
It is certain there was early devotion to the saint.
Around the year 390, the pilgrim lady Etheria talks of the procession that took
place on the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the tomb where Lazarus had been
raised from the dead. In the West, Passion Sunday was called Dominica de
Lazaro, and Augustine tells us that in Africa the Gospel of the raising of
Lazarus was read at the office of Palm Sunday.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1232
Events of December 17 - Saints of December 17:
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