The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross September 14 [Orthodox/Latin Caucus]

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ^

[Kolokotronis]

Synaxarion:

Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord have mercy." It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.

Rest from labour. A Fast is observed today, whatever day of the week it may be.

Apolytikion in the First Tone

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

Lifted up on the Cross by Your free will, Christ God, grant mercies to the new commonwealth that bears Your name. Gladden our faithful rulers by Your power, giving them victories over their adversaries. May Your alliance be for them a weapon for peace, an invincible standard.

[Kolokotronis]

Elevation of The Venerable and Life Giving Cross Ping!

[constitutiongirl]

Christ is in our midst!

[johngrace]

I never heard of this. Thanks for sharing. Truly interesting.

[OpusatFR]

What wonderful information. Never knew this!

Thanks.

[constitutiongirl]

Kontakion in the 4th tone:

O Christ our God, who wast voluntarily lifted up on the Cross, grant Thy mercies to Thy new people named after Thee. Gladden with Thy power Orthodox Christians and give them victory over their enemies. May they have as ally, that invincible trophy, Thy weapon of peace.

[Kolokotronis]

In the Latin Church the feast is called The Exaltation of the Holy Cross and is celebrated likewise on September 14th. It commemorates the redemption of the Cross from the possession of the pagan Persians by the Emperor Heraclius as is mentioned in the article.

[lightman]

Holy Cross Day appears as a Festival on the Lutheran and Anglican calendars, liturgical color is red.

It is one of the few Festivals allowed to take precedence over a Sunday; meaning that September 14 falls on a Sunday as it did two years ago the Festival is celebrated rather than the Xth Sunday after Pentecost.

[lightman]

Lessons for the day from the Lutheran Book of Worship:

FIRST LESSON
• Isaiah 45:21-25

“Declare and present your case;
let them have counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is no one besides me.
22Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other,
23By myself I have sworn,
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that will not return;
To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.”
24Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
shall come to him and be ashamed.
25In the LORD all the offspring of Israel
shall triumph and glory.

PSALM 98:1-5

SECOND LESSON
• 1 Corinthians 1:18-24

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.”
20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided through the foolishness of our proclamation to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

GOSPEL
• John 12:20-33

Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. 26Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
27“Now is my soul troubled. And what should I say—’Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

[johngrace]

What a truly amazing Christian History. So many came before us. Yet we can see what they did with the challenges.

Their are christians who are stupid enough to think this is a waste of time. Without feasts and remembrence of saints we would not have any knowledge of this. Gee could it be the same Holy Spirit that guided these records of celebration so we can also be inspired.

[Salvation]

St. Francis' Prayer Before the Crucifix

Most High
glorious God,
enlighten the darkness
of my heart.
Give me
right faith,
sure hope
and perfect charity.
Fill me with understanding
and knowledge
that I may fulfill
your command.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14th (history) [Ecumenical}
Sermon for 14 September at Blackfen (Fr. Zuhlsdorf)

Exaltation of the Glorious Cross - September 14
We All Praise the Tree that should be Worshipped -- Feast of the Elevation of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Cross
Exultation/Triumph of the Holy Cross
The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross
The Feast of the Holy Cross (Fr. Elfeghali's report)

Catholic, Crusader, Leper and King: The Life of Baldwin IV and the Triumph of the Cross
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF THE TRIUMPH OF THE HOLY CROSS
Orthodox Feast of The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, September 14
Triumph of the Cross - September 14th
Feast of The Exaltation of The Holy Cross - September 14

[johngrace]

Thanks! I love it.

[lastchance]

Amen. Lord in Your Cross is all victory over every foe temporal and spiritual. May I always carry it before me.

[Honorary Serb]

The Troparion of the feast, from the OCA website:

O Lord, save Your people,
And bless You inheritance.
Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians
Over their adversaries.
And by virtue of Your Cross,
Preserve Your habitation.

We normally “spiritualize” this, with the “enemies” referring to the demons who assault us daily in our thoughts. The references to Amalek in the vigil for this feast seem to refer to the demons.

Of course, we have earthly enemies, too. But for most of us, it is the spiritual enemies that are closest at hand.

[lightman]

Of course, we have earthly enemies, too. But for most of us, it is the spiritual enemies that are closest at hand.

For that reason I am very fond of the Lutheran Book of Worship Collect for the First Sunday in Lent:

Lord God,
the battle of good and evil rages within and around us,
and our ancient foe tempts us with his deceits and empty promises.
Keep us steadfast in your word,
and, when we fall,
raise us again and restore us,
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever
AMEN.

[Kolokotronis]

"O Lord, save Your people, And bless You inheritance. Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians Over their adversaries. And by virtue of Your Cross, Preserve Your habitation. We normally “spiritualize” this, with the “enemies” referring to the demons who assault us daily in our thoughts. The references to Amalek in the vigil for this feast seem to refer to the demons." We normally sing it in the original Greek with the original word Βαρβαρων "Varvaron" which you are translating as "adversaries" meaning Barbarians. The history of this chant is to an extent political and from a time when the Cross was used as a defense against the attacks of barbarian hordes Here are the words to the Troparion:

"Σώσον Κύριε τόν λαόν σου καί ευλόγησον τήν κληρονομίαν σου, νίκας τοίς Βασιλεύσι κατά βαρβάρων δωρούμενος καί τό σόν φυλάττων διά τού Σταυρού σου πολίτευμα."

And here is a link to the chant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z8qfKoUBKY

[Kolokotronis]

"O Lord, save Your people, And bless You inheritance. Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians Over their adversaries. And by virtue of Your Cross, Preserve Your habitation.

We normally “spiritualize” this, with the “enemies” referring to the demons who assault us daily in our thoughts. The references to Amalek in the vigil for this feast seem to refer to the demons."

We normally sing it in the original Greek with the original word Βαρβαρων "Varvaron" which you are translating as "adversaries" meaning Barbarians. The history of this chant is to an extent political and from a time when the Cross was used as a defense against the attacks of barbarian hordes

Here are the words to the Troparion:

"Σώσον Κύριε τόν λαόν σου καί ευλόγησον τήν κληρονομίαν σου, νίκας τοίς Βασιλεύσι κατά βαρβάρων δωρούμενος καί τό σόν φυλάττων διά τού Σταυρού σου πολίτευμα."

And here is a link to the chant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z8qfKoUBKY

[Honorary Serb]

As we all know, Kolo, even today—both here in the US and in the Serbian homeland and elsewhere—we are still assaulted by barbarian hordes.

However, we all have our spiritual warfare, too.

[lightman]

As we all know, Kolo, even today—both here in the US and in the Serbian homeland and elsewhere—we are still assaulted by barbarian hordes.

However, we all have our spiritual warfare, too.

"within and around us"

I LOVE that phrase...covers both dimensions of the eternal struggle.