St. Andrew of Crete (c. 660-740), whose "great eucharistic prayer" the
Orthodox pray during Lent, was born in Damascus. He became a monk at Mar Saba
and served later at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Around 685, he was
ordained a deacon at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. He also ran a refuge that
took in orphans and cared for the elderly. He ended his days as Archbishop of
Gortyna on the island of Crete, a position to which he was elevated in 692. He
wrote homilies that display great oratorical skill, as well as panegyrics to
the saints.
“Today, in harmony with prophecy, the shoot of David has budded
forth from the always blossoming staff of Aaron, the staff that announced the
flower it would bring forth, the staff of power, Christ. Today has emerged
from Judah and David a young virgin girl, presenting the face of royalty and
the priesthood of Aaron, who has exercised the priestly functions according to
the order of Melchisedech. Today grace, whitening the mystical Ephod, wove
the divine priesthood mystically in advance from levitical seed, and God
painted the blood of David with royal purple.” First Homily on the
Nativity, PG 96, cols. 864B-865A.
