Feast of The Exaltation of The Holy Cross

During the reign of Constantine, first Roman Emperor to profess the Christian faith, his mother Helena went to Israel and there undertook to find the places especially significant to Christians. (She was helped in this by the fact that in their destructions around 135, the Romans had built pagan shrines over many of these sites.) Having located, close together, what she believed to be the sites of the Crucifixion and of the Burial (at locations that modern archaeologists think may be correct), she then had built over them the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was dedicated on 14 September 335. It has become a day for recognizing the Cross (in a festal atmosphere that would be inappropriate on Good Friday) as a symbol of triumph, as a sign of Christ's victory over death, and a reminder of His promise, "And when I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32)

Tertullian, in his De Corona (3:2), written around AD 211, says that Christians seldom do anything significant without making the sign of the cross. Certainly by his time the practice was well established. Justin Martyr, in chapters 55 and 60 of his First Apology (Defence of the Christian Faith, addressed to the Emperor Antoninus Pius and therefore written between 148 and 155 AD), refers to the cross as a standard Christian symbol, but not explicitly to tracing the sign of the cross as a devotional gesture. In the ruins of Pompeii (destroyed 79 AD), there is a room with an altar-like structure against one wall, and over the altar the appearance of the plaster shows that a cross-shaped object had been nailed to the wall, and forcibly pulled loose, apparently shortly before the volcano buried the city. It is suggested that this house may have belonged to a Christian family, and that they took the cross and other objects of value to them when they fled the city. This is not the only possible explanation, but I do not know of a likelier one.

The Christian custom of tracing the sign of the cross on persons and things as a sign of blessing is very old. Some think that it goes back to the very origins of Christianity and earlier. In Ezekiel 9, we read that Ezekiel had a vision of the throne-room of God, in which an angel was sent to go through Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the faithful few who mourned for the sins of the city. Afterwards, other angels were sent through the city to destroy all those who had not the mark. We find similar visionary material in Revelation 7:2-4; 9:4; 14:1, where the mark on the forehead again protects the faithful few in the day of wrath, and it is said to be the name of the Lamb and of His Father. Now, the Hebrew word used for "mark" in Ezekiel is TAU, which is the also the name of the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (the ancestor of the Greek letter TAU and our letter T), and it refers to a mark like an X or a +, two short lines crossing at right angles. When the Essenes (the Dead Sea Scrolls people) received converts into their community, they baptized them and then signed them on their foreheads with a TAU, in token that they were part of the faithful remnant who mourned the sins of Israel, and that they would be spared in the day of God's wrath. It seems probable that John the Baptist and his followers were in some measure influenced by the Essenes, and they had certainly read Ezekiel. Accordingly, the tracing of a TAU on the forehead may have been a part of John's method of baptism, and may have been adopted by the earliest Christians. (We remember that some of the Twelve disciples had previously been disciples of John the Baptist -- see John 1:35-37,40.) Very possibly they began by tracing the TAU without asking what it meant -- it was simply a mark, the mark mentioned by Ezekiel. Later, they may have identified it with the Name of God. The Essenes, in some of their documents, used four dots in place of the four letters of the Name of God, and sometimes arranged them in a square. It would be easy to interpret the four ends of the TAU as representing the four letters of the Name of God. Later, Christians, especially Greek-speaking Christians, might interpret the sign as a CHI, an X-shaped letter, the first letter of the word XPICTOC, or Christos, meaning the Annointed One, the Messiah, the Christ. Again, Christians might understand it to be the sign of the Cross of Christ, and it is this interpretation that has prevailed. Today, in many Christian churches, when someone is baptized, the baptizer afterwards traces the sign of the cross on the forehead of the newly baptized person. Often, some of the water that has been used for baptism is saved and placed in small bowls near the entrance to the church. Worshippers entering the church touch the surface of the water and then cross themselves as a way of reaffirming their baptismal covenant. (A few years ago, a Jewish friend asked me, "May I go to the Easter Midnight service with you?" I said: "Certainly, if you like. However, I must warn you that there will be baptisms, and that afterwards the priest will take a bowl of baptismal water and a sprig of hyssop, and walk up and down the aisle sprinkling the congregation with the water, and if a single drop touches you, you will instantly turn into a goy." He answered, "I will bring an umbrella and open it at the appropriate time.") As we have seen, the practice of using the sign of the cross in connection with Baptism may very well go back to the Apostles themselves, and back before them into their Essene and other Jewish roots, having its origin in the vision of Ezekiel. In fact, the concept may go back further than that. We read in Genesis 4 that, when Cain had killed his brother and was sent into exile, God set a mark (TAU) on Cain, so that no one would slay him. Thus, from the start, the Sign of the Cross has been the protection of the penitent and justified sinner.

What is the significance of the sign of the cross? Well, in the first place, we often place our initials or other personal mark on something to show that it belongs to us. The Cross is the personal mark of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and we mark it on ourselves as a sign that we belong to Him, just as in the book of Revelation, as noted above, the servants of God are sealed or marked on their foreheads as a sign that they are His.

The feast of the Exaltation of the Cross is in honor of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Observed on September 14, it is also known as 'Holy Cross Day'. The liturgy of this feast in the Syrian Orthodox Church recalls the tradition which narrates the story of Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine, who went to Jerusalem to look for the Cross. On her way to Jerusalem, she left one of her servants on a mountain. Once the cross was discovered, she ordered her men to light a fire on top of a nearby mountain. Having seen the fire, the servant staying on the next mountain lit another fire, and in this manner the news of the discovery of the Holy Cross reached the capital, Constantinople.
Syriac Orthodox Church

We bow in worship before your Cross, O Master, and we give praise to your Holy Resurrection.
Li saleebika ya Sayyidana nosjed, wa li quamatik almoqaddasal numajjid.
Ton Stavron sou proskinoomen, Dhespota, keh teen Agian sou Anastasin dhoxaxomen.
Melkite Greek Catholic Church

However, Helen had no way of determining which was the Cross of Christ. With the healing of a dying woman who touched one of the crosses, Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem identified the True Cross of Christ. Saint Helen and her court venerated the Precious and Life-Giving Cross along with many others who came to see this great instrument of Redemption.

Please add your links to this thread!!

As many of you know, I normally attend the 11am mass on Sunday. Tomorrow, however, is our parish picnic and I will be working it for most of the day so I attended the 4:30 mass tonight, for the first time.

As I walked down the aisle, I was stunned to see a magnificent gold crucifix on a pedestal, next to the oversized, bigger than life, Risen Christ. It was placed on a white draped pedestal with a candle burning at its base. I instantly broke into tears of joy!! Could it be that the pastor had FINALLY read the GIRM?! Then I opened to the Readings and noticed Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.

In all fairness and tribute to Fr. Burke, he did a masterful job with this mass. The altar was decorated in a classical manner, the choir sang traditional songs of the cross, his sermon was totally focused on living our lives by the cross ... I actually felt like I was in a Catholic Church. An absolutely beautiful Catholic Mass service. (Tomorrow, I will have to pique his conscience and try to convince him to keep that magnificent crucifix up there next to the Tabernacle.

Please take a moment to add an appropriate prayer or hymn to this thread. God Bless you all!

Thank God! Little things to some but everything to us.

A little sign that you should stay in your parish maybe? It's great that you are going to tell him how much you loved what he did.

Smiled all the way through that post because I know how overjoyed you must have been!

I've been going back and forth about attending the Tridentine tomorrow because of this feast.... I think you made up my mind that I will. Sadly, nothing out of the ordinary will take place at my home parish tomorrow.

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen

Now keep in mind I'm coming from a slightly different background:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

-Isaac Watts

As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the Crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above.

Thank you ALL for your beautiful posts to this thread! Before tonight, I had never heard of this feast (or perhaps, I wasn't paying attention). The pastor explained that it is one of the most ancient feast days in the church calendar, dating back to the consecration of the Basilica of Constantinople. It wasn't until I began to research it online that I fully appreciated that statement. To find links to the Syriac, Melchite and Greek rites was truly fascinating.

I noticed too, in the history of this feast that ...

When the Essenes (the Dead Sea Scrolls people) received converts into their community, they baptized them and then signed them on their foreheads with a TAU, in token that they were part of the faithful remnant who mourned the sins of Israel, and that they would be spared in the day of God's wrath.

St. Francis (of Assisi) was very fond of the passage in the prophet Ezekiel (9:4) which refers to the faithful of God all being signed on the forehead with the letter 'tau'. Francis often signed his letters with this symbol.

Pope Innocent III used this image from the prophet Ezekiel for the theme of the opening homily of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215). The Tau became a symbol from the Council for spiritual renewal in the Church. It is thought that Francis was present at this council and used the Tau from that moment on.

I have one that I brought back from Assisi 18 years ago. Such beautiful symbolism in this feast!

Father gave a good sermon on the history of the cross, and carrying the cross in our lives. A beautiful day in San Diego today - and a beautiful church to be in.

Sounds like a gem of a church! Will take the virtual tour later.

Following up on Colleen's recommendation, I let our pastor know today just how much I appreciated the BEAUTIFUL mass he celebrated last night. He was most appreciative. His heart is in the right place but he often approaches holy or feast days as an opportunity to "create a mood" or "set the stage" (don't know how else to explain this). In any event, he opened up and told me that as he looked out at the congregation assembled for the masses he said (we have a retired priest who shares the mass schedule with him), he noticed quite a few people crying. "Yes!", I told him, "this liturgy brought me to tears as well". I then complimented him on the presentation of the crucifix that had been set up for the occasion (recall that our post VCII church has the Risen Christ) and wouldn't it look absolutely beautiful, juxtaposed next to the Tabernacle, on PERMANENT display. He smiled and rolled his eyes (generally not a good sign). Later, I approached two women EEM's who "have the pastor's ear". Turns out, they like the Risen Christ statue. Back to the drawing board. I am most consoled that the pastor noted the tears streaming down the faces of those who attended his masses. These were genuine tears of love for Christ and an appreciation for the more "mystical" aspects of today's liturgy, that was focused on the cross. God willing (and I will continue to pray for him), the pastor will 'make the connection.

Thanks for the link! Took the tour .... what a beautiful church. Clicked on their Feast Day link and found this.

List of Celebrated Feast Days

Feast of Saint Joseph	Sunday before March 19	()
Saint Anthony of Padua	Sunday before June 13	()
Sacred Heart	Third Sunday of June	()
Madonna Addolorata	Third Sunday of September	()
Our Lady of the Rosary	First Sunday of October	()
Madonna Del Lume	Third Sunday of October	()
Wedding Anniversary Mass	Last Sunday of October	()
Spaghetti Dinner	First Saturday of November	()
Madonna Del Paradiso	Second Sunday of November	()

Good to know that the Feast of the Spaghetti Dinner has now been added to the liturgical calendar. That should make the Italians proud .... or is it the Chinese? Lol.

Thanks for the link! Took the tour .... what a beautiful church. Clicked on their Feast Day link and found this.

List of Celebrated Feast Days

Feast of Saint Joseph	Sunday before March 19	()
Saint Anthony of Padua	Sunday before June 13	()
Sacred Heart	Third Sunday of June	()
Madonna Addolorata	Third Sunday of September	()
Our Lady of the Rosary	First Sunday of October	()
Madonna Del Lume	Third Sunday of October	()
Wedding Anniversary Mass	Last Sunday of October	()
Spaghetti Dinner	First Saturday of November	()
Madonna Del Paradiso	Second Sunday of November	()

Good to know that the Feast of the Spaghetti Dinner has now been added to the liturgical calendar. That should make the Italians proud .... or is it the Chinese? Lol.

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