What is the importance of the prayer of St. Lazarus?

St. Lazarus is known among religious people as the great friend of Jesus Christ. In addition, he is also the protector of animals and sick people. Because of this, many people turn to him when they are going through health problems, either with themselves or with someone close to them.

Thus, Saint Lazarus has many prayers intended for health causes. Know that the prayers of this saint are very powerful and able to help anyone who is going through such a problem. This is said because these prayers can be great allies to the treatments of the most diverse diseases, whether physical or mental.

Able even to cure diseases considered as impossible cures, St. Lazarus is always close to the Creator, ready to intercede for you. Below, check out a little more of the history of this saint who was a very humble man, as well as his powerful prayers.

Getting to know Saint Lazarus of Bethany

In life, Lazarus was a disciple and great friend of Jesus. Together with his family, he lived in the village called Bethany, near Jerusalem. Thus, whenever Jesus went out on mission, speaking the word of God, He almost always stayed at Lazarus' house.

Lazarus was in life a very good and humble man. His story, as well as that of all the saints, is very rich and brings with it many interesting things. Check out the following a little more about the life of this dear saint.

Origin and history

Lazarus was always very respected by the whole Hebrew community. After all, he had an unmatchable honesty, besides coming from a very religious family. Lazarus is also considered a very special character in the Holy Bible, because he is the only one Jesus cries for in the New Testament.

Certainly one of the most remarkable episodes in the life of Lazarus was when he was resurrected by Jesus. It is worth remembering that when Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus, he had already been dead for four days and smelled bad.

This was one of Christ's greatest miracles, and it was his last great sign on earth. After this, the high priests decided to put him to death. They also decided to put Lazarus to death, because he was living proof of the Messiah's holiness.

Some experts say that Lazarus fled with his sisters to Cyprus, where he would have become a bishop. However, after the resurrection event, the Scriptures no longer mention them. Thus, for many, Lazarus ended his life as the great friend of Jesus.

Visual characteristics of Saint Lazarus

The image of Saint Lazarus carries with it many symbolisms. One can observe that his mantle is printed in brown and purple, and none of them are by chance. The brown represents humility and poverty, while the purple is the symbol of all his suffering and penitence.

The crutches that appear with him are the representation of his physical weakness. It is worth remembering that Lazarus often had nothing to eat, and this led to some diseases.

His wounds signify all the pain and suffering he went through, as well as representing the suffering of all the poor. Some say that they also represent the wounds of Christ, for it was he himself who said: 'Whatever you do to the least of these, you do it to me.

The dogs, on the other hand, are the representation of Divine providence, which never abandoned him. Finally, the fact that he is on the edge of a road, indicates the marginality with which he was placed out of society, because of poverty.

What does St. Lazarus represent?

When he was still alive, Lazarus suffered a lot because of misery and poverty. He was always begging, while the rich people were feasting abundantly. Because Lazarus was humble and often poorly dressed, the rich people despised him. He only wanted to eat the leftovers, but they did not even allow him to do that. Because of this life, Lazarus ended up suffering from some diseases.

Thus, today he is considered the protector of the sick, helpless and also of sick animals. In this way, it can be said that he represents the humble who suffer with misery. He represents those people who are often invisible to the eyes of those who have better conditions, and therefore would have the duty to help.

Devotion

St. Lazarus began to be venerated even at the beginning of Christianity, and therefore his devotion was already very common in the ancient Church. Pilgrims would go to the house of Lazarus, in the region of Bethany, to visit the tomb, in which Jesus Christ resurrected him.

As he died twice, Saint Lazarus had two tombs. The second is in Cyprus, Lamarca, where some say he was a bishop, a fact that is not confirmed. Records tell that his relics were taken to Constantinople by order of Emperor Leo VI.

However, in the year 1972, some archaeologists found inscriptions that apparently were from Saint Lazarus. Thus, these remains are hidden under the church of Lamarca, where today is another place of pilgrimage and devotion to Saint Lazarus.

Some prayers of Saint Lazarus of Bethany

As you have seen in the course of this article, Saint Lazarus was a very humble man who lived begging. However, the rich despised him. Because he had nothing to eat, he suffered from many diseases.

Thus, today, Saint Lazarus has countless prayers that can relieve those who suffer similarly. From prayers for healing impossible diseases, to prayers for healing wounds, to prayers for healing animals, check out some prayers of the kind Saint Lazarus below.

Prayer of St. Lazarus to cure impossible diseases

"O, Blessed and glorious Lazarus of Bethany, Help and support of Martha and Mary. To thee I call. O, beloved and ever-living spirit of grace, with the same faith and love as Jesus I call to the door of thy sepulchre, whence thou camest forth alive and healed, after having been for the space of four consecutive days with thy body buried, without having given the slightest sign of impurity and imperfection.

Thus, I also call you today to the door of your holy spirit so that with the same faith that God infused into you, you may grant us the union of the Churches in Christ, invoking for it the incomparable love with which God willed to reward you and resignation to what you knew how to suffer in the times of your material life. Amen."

Prayer of Saint Lazarus for one's own healing

"O God, greatness of the humble who made St. Lazarus distinguished by patience, give us, by his prayers and merits, the grace to love you always, and by bearing with Christ the cross of each day, be free from the deadly disease that afflicts our body and soul. By the name of Jesus Christ our Lord I shall be healed, so be it."

Prayer of St. Lazarus to heal wounds

"You who have achieved by faith and love the salvation of your flesh, ask for me, the Lord Jesus to save me too. Just as Martha and Mary asked for you, on their knees, I pray, St. Lazarus, help me in my sorrowful hours, support me in my pains and free my body and spirit from any and all sickness, heal my soul from any and all evil. Amen."

St. Lazarus prayer for the healing of animals

"Almighty God, who granted me the gift of identifying in every creature of the universe a reflection of the light of Your love; who entrusted to me, humble servant of Your infinite goodness, the guardianship and protection of the creatures of the planet.

Allow that, through my imperfect hands and limited human perception, I may serve as an instrument for Your divine mercy to fall upon this animal.

And that through my vital fluids I may envelop him in an atmosphere of invigorating energy, so that his suffering may be dispelled and his health restored. May Your will thus be fulfilled, with the support of the good spirits who surround me. Amen."

St. Lazarus prayer to keep the family together

"O Miraculous Saint Lazarus, great friend of Jesus, be of help to me in this hour of affliction and sickness. I need your valuable miraculous healing, I believe in help to overcome the struggles of daily life, and the evil forces that seek to take away my peace and health.

Oh St. Lazarus full of wounds, free me from infectious and contagious diseases that want to contaminate my body with sickness. Oh St. Lazarus, resurrected by Christ, enlighten my steps so that where I walk I do not encounter any traps or obstacles.

And guided by your light divert me from all the ambushes prepared by my adversaries.

O St. Lazarus, guardian of souls, stretch out your hands over me right now, delivering me from disasters, dangers against life, envy and all evil works.

O St. Lazarus, who ate the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, bless my family, my daily bread, my home, my work, healing all sicknesses of body and spirit, covering me with the veil of the prosperity of love, health and happiness. May my family be kept together. Through Christ Our Master, in the strength and Light of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

Prayer of Saint Lazarus in Umbanda

Saint Lazarus is also worshiped within Umbanda, where he has a religious syncretism with Obaluaê. This Orixá is known for having the secrets of life and death. Besides being the lord of the earth and the Orixá of healing, health and diseases. Obaluaê is also one of the seven major Orixás maiores.

"Protect me, Father, Atotô Obaluayê. Oh, Master of Life, protect your children so that their lives may be marked by health. You are the limiter of infirmities. You are the physician of earthly bodies and eternal souls.

We beseech your mercy for the ills that affect us. May your wounds shelter our pains and sufferings. Grant us healthy bodies and serene souls. Master of Healing, soothe our sufferings that we chose to rescue in this incarnation. Atotô my Father Obaluayê".

Finally, in addition to the prayer, some specialists still indicate the bath of Omulu/Obaluê, Saint Lazarus, for requests for healing, health and spiritual protection.

Materials: Popcorn, oil and pan.

How to do: pop the popcorn in olive oil, without salt. Then ask your mother (biological or rearing mother, grandmother, godmother, etc.) to take some of the oil (along with the popcorn) and rub it all over your body. But be careful, wait until the oil cools down so you don't hurt yourself.

After that, take a hygienic bath, praying an Our Father. At this moment ask with faith to Saint Lazarus and Omulu/Obalue for your spiritual protection or the cure of your illness. This sympathy must be done on the day of Saint Lazarus (12/17).

Further information about Saint Lazarus of Bethany

Very popular and beloved saint within the Catholic Church, the time has come to know his celebrations in Brazil, and around the world.

Plus, with a rich history like that, of course there are still some more interesting facts about St. Lazarus to share. Check them out below.

Saint Lazarus celebrations around the world

There are some very interesting celebrations to Saint Lazarus, like the so-called Lazarus Saturday, for example. For the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism, this is celebrated one day before Palm Sunday. The reason for the commemoration is the Resurrection of Lazarus.

So around the world this date is celebrated. In Russia, for example, church vestments and carpets on that day, and also on Palm Sunday (the day after), are changed to green, representing the renewal of life.

Already in the churches of Greece, it is customary during this date to trace crosses made with the leaves of palm trees, which will be used on Palm Sunday. Also in Greece and also in Cyprus, where Lazarus lived part of his life, it is still a tradition during the Saturday of Lazarus, to roast lazarakia to eat.

Saint Lazarus Celebrations in Brazil

Saint Lazarus Day is celebrated on December 17, and here in Brazil there are many celebrations in honor of the saint on this date. In Salvador, for example, this day is marked by masses and processions.

In Juazeiro do Norte, in the interior of Ceará, a payment of a promise that is made to St. Lazarus for more than 30 years, draws attention. A musician named João Bosco, makes a feast only for dogs. The man says that his leg was not amputated in a worsening of a disease, thanks to the faith he has in St. Lazarus.

So he promised that every year he would celebrate with a feast for the animals. A procession goes through the streets of the city with an image of the saint and ends with lunch at João Bosco's house.

Interesting facts about Saint Lazarus

The biography of Saint Lazarus is a bit confusing because after the event of his Resurrection, the Bible does not mention him or his sisters. Thus, in popular circles, there are two widely told versions about his possible destiny. One says that Lazarus would have been expelled from Palestine, and then went to live in Cyprus, where he became a bishop.

The other version tells that the Jews would have put him in a boat without a rudder or oars and then he would have landed in Provence, France. A coincidence between the two stories is that here he would also have become bishop in the region of Marseille.

But there are still more confusions involving the story of Lazarus. Many believers associate him with another character mentioned in the Bible. There is a parable in which Jesus tells the disciples that a man named Lazarus, who was a leper, stayed at the door of a rich man, but he never paid attention to him.

When both died, the nobleman went to hell, and when he looked up, he saw the humble Lazarus, next to Abraham. Thus, because of these fusions of stories, that we cannot even tell if it was him or not, Lazarus ended up becoming the intercessor of the poor, of health, and of the plague. Devotees started to treat him as a saint around the 4th century.

How can the prayer of St. Lazarus help in your life?

St. Lazarus is well known for interceding primarily for the healing of impossible diseases, misery and plague, so if you have been suffering from something related to this, ask with faith and trust for the intercession of St. Lazarus, and trust that he will take your request to the Father.

After all, in life, Lazarus was a very humble man who suffered with the lack of help, or the minimum of attention, from those who had a lot but did not make a point of helping. His problems intensified even more when he began to be affected by diseases, due to the lack of food and the misery that he lived.

So, because you have been through so much suffering and hardship, be assured that St. Lazarus understands your pain. Now, on the other hand, if your problems are not directly related to these issues, rest assured. Whatever you are going through, know that you have in St. Lazarus a kind friend who will always be willing to listen and help.

Therefore, turn to him with faith and hope, and be sure that no matter what your problem is, and what sector of your life is not going well, know that in Lazarus you will always have a friendly shoulder, just as he was in life, for Jesus Christ.