As every good Catholic knows, Saint Lazarus is the Patron saint of lepers, the sick, and those with AIDS. On holy cards and chromo prints he is depicted as a thin man on crutches, clothed with rags, with leprous sores on his body. He is accompanied by dogs, who lick his wounds in an attempt to heal him.

It is obvious why a figure as wretched as Lazarus should be petitioned for relief from chronic illness, imobilizing pain, and skin diseases -- but it is also a fact that Lazarus is a favourite saint whose help is sought by those who are poor and in need of money, especially those who hope to receive charitable gifts, government grants, and other forms of philanthopic assistance. This aspect of Lazarus is confusing to many people, for a variety of reasons.

In 2010 i received a question from a person called Mercurious, who wrote:

A few weeks ago I received a dollar bill with words written on the back (the side with the seals) around the border. The words are:

"St. Lazarus....the one who receives this bill will be blessed with a lot of money if they write this on ten bills"

(I know, it kind of sounds like those e-mails "send this to 10 people and you'll have good luck, etc.")

So, upon finding it I thought I should do just that since it seemed similar to some of the hoodoo money spells I have come across. I began doing this to my own money, but unfortunately before I finished all 10, I lost the bills. I was very distressed when that happened, and I blame it on my own lack of awareness.

I had almost forgotten about all this until today when, at work, I was about to hand a customer their change and realized that a dollar bill had words written around the border. I've always kept an eye out for money with words written on them in case I come across some magic money. I kept the bill and gave the customer a different one. I know it isn't one of my bills or the original that I found in the first place because after the spell they wrote "CK", which I think is probably the caster's initials.

I was wondering if you had come across this bit of folk magic, and why do you think St. Lazarus is invoked? I'm guessing because of his resurrection. Should I try doing the spell again? I'm looking for opinions of some professionals.

Wrong.

This spell is based on the story of Lazarus and Dives, told by Jesus to his disciples in the Book of Luke, Chapter 16. This Lazarus was not a Christian, but he has been called a saint by the Catholic church. Protestants and Jews just call him Lazarus, without the "saint" title.

(Most Catholics do acknowledge that it is a mistake to confuse the Jewish Lazarus the beggar of the parable with the Christian Lazarus of Bethany, the friend of Jesus, called Saint Lazarus. No matter what title he is given -- however, if you see a statue or holy card of Lazarus, you can always know which Lazarus is being called upon for help with money matters because he is shown in beggar's rags and he is always accompanied by dogs. Lazarus of Bethany is never depicted with dogs.)

In the story, as Luke says Jesus told it, Lazarus was a poor man, covered with skin sores, and he was followed by a couple of dogs, who licked his sores. He sat down in front of the gate of a rich man named Dives and begged for crumbs from his table, but the rich man denied him. It then came to pass that both Lazarus and Dives died, and Jesus described what happened next: Lazarus was taken aloft by angels and rested in the bosom of Abraham, while Dives was conducted below into a lake of fire, from whence he begged Abraham to send Lazarus to him with a sip of water. Abraham said this could not be done, so then Dives asked for a warning to be sent to his five rich brothers so that they should practice charity and not be damned as he was, but Abraham said that the five brothers, like all good Jews, had already been given God's laws by Moses and the Prophets, and they were on their own when it came to ethics, because if they were going to be hard-hearted like Dives, even seeing a man rise from the dead to warn them would not change their minds or mend their greedy ways.

The story of Lazarus and Dives has thus come to symbolize the relief of poverty through charity, and the importance of the conversion of wealthy men from self-centered greed to philanthropic goodness.

Here are the lyrics to a well known and quite popular gospel song based on this incident, with words and melody by Hazel Cole and Grady Cole, published in 1957. In this song, Lazarus is compared to Jesus, who knocks at the door of our hearts, the way a beggar might. This song has been recorded by Hank Thompson, Hank Williams, Rose Maddox, and (in my favourite version) by Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper:

THE TRAMP ON THE STREET

Only a tramp was Lazarus' sad fate
He who lay down at the rich man's gate
He begged for some crumbs from the rich man to eat
He was only a tramp found dead on the street.

He was some mother's darling, he was some mother's son
Once he was fair and once he was young
Some mother once rocked him, her darling to sleep
But they left him to die like a tramp on the street.

Jesus who died on Calvary's tree
Shed His life's blood for you and for me
They pierced His side, His hands, and His feet
And they left Him to die like a tramp on the street.

He was Mary's own darling, he was God's chosen Son
Once He was fair and once He was young
Mary, she rocked Him, her little darling to sleep
But they left Him to die like a tramp on the street.

If Jesus should come and knock on your door
For a place to come in, or bread from your store
Would you welcome Him? -- Or turn Him away?
Then God would deny you on the great Judgement Day

He was Mary's own darling, he was God's chosen Son
Once He was fair and once He was young
Mary, she rocked Him, her little darling to sleep
But they left Him to die like a tramp on the street.

Why is Lazarus the beggar confused with Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha? Simple: both stories involve the mention of someone being revived from the dead. In the story of Lazarus the beggar, no one is actually revived, but the deceased spirit of Abraham discusses the issue with the deceased spirit of Dives:

Luke 16:19-31

[19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

[22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."

[25] But Abraham said, "Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. [26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."

[27] Then he said, "I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: [28] for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment."

[29] Abraham saith unto him, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."

[30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

[31] And he said unto him, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

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