hymnody, into the liturgy. Previously, the portion of the Matins service which is now the canon was composed of chanting the nine biblical canticles, with short refrains inserted between scriptural verses. Saint Andrew expanded these refrains into fully developed poetic Odes, each of which begins with the theme (Irmos) of the scriptural canticle, but then goes on to expound the theme of the feast being celebrated that day (whether the Lord, the Theotokos, a saint, the departed, etc.). His masterpiece, the Great Canon (also known as the Canon of Repentance or the Great Canon of Repentance), is the longest canon ever composed with 250 strophes. It is written primarily in the first person, and goes chronologically through the entire Old and New Testaments drawing examples (both negative and positive) which it correlates to the need of the sinful soul for repentance and a humble return to God. It is divided into four parts (called methymony) which are chanted at Great Compline on the first four nights of Great Lent (one part per night); later, it is chanted in its entirety at Matins on Thursday of the fifth week of Great Lent. Twenty-four canons are reputed to have been written by Saint Andrew of Crete. Of these, we can be more or less certain that he wrote fourteen, including: the canons for the Resurrection of Lazarus (chanted at Compline on the Saturday—i.e., Friday night—before Palm Sunday); the Conception of St. Anne (9 December); the Maccabean Martyrs (1 August); St. Ignatius of Antioch (20 December), as well as four Triodia, and no fewer than one hundred and seven irmoi. See also List of Catholic saints List of Eastern Orthodox saints References External links St Andrew of Crete Orthodox Icon and Synaxarion Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Crete Prolog from Ochrid (July 4) Andrew of Crete - Encomium on St Nicholas of Myra - English translation of Oration 18. Great Canon article from OrthodoxWiki Great Canon of Saint Andrew in Old Church Slavonic Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete in Parallel Ukrainian and English texts Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, First Week of the Great Fast — in English Orthros with the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, Thursday of the Fifth Week of the Great Fast in Parallel Ukrainian and English texts 650 births 8th-century deaths People from Damascus Saints of medieval Greece Syrian Christian saints 8th-century Christian saints