St. Andrew of Crete (650-c.726) also known as St. Andrew of Jerusalem, was born in the Syrian city of Damascus to devout Christian parents. According to legend, he was mute until he was 7 years old and miraculously cured after he received his First Holy Communion.
 
As a young teenager, Andrew entered a monastery near Jerusalem. His exceptional qualities quickly caught the attention of his superiors, leading to his appointment as Archdeacon by Theodore, the Patriarch of Jerusalem at the time. The Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Theodore also sent Andrew to represent the Church at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople called by Emperor Constantine, playing a role in addressing the heresy of Monothelitism. This Sixth Council was pivotal in establishing that Jesus had both divine and human nature.
 
St. Andrew of Crete would go on to become an influential theologian, bishop, and hymnographer. Around the year 700 he was appointed Archbishop of the city of Gortyn, on the island of Crete. His service to the Church included charitable work for the poor and orphaned and he is credited with introducing the canon, a new form of hymn, into the liturgy.
 
His most renowned work, the Great Canon, is a masterpiece that guides the faithful through repentance and a return to God. To this day, the Great Canon is chanted twice a year in Eastern Orthodox liturgies during Lent. It takes around three hours to complete and includes more than 200 full-body prostrations along with its many odes, litanies, and refrains.
 
While the exact date of Andrew's death remains uncertain, it is known that he passed away on the island of Mytilene while returning to Crete from Constantinople. St. Andrew of Crete, pray for us!