Greece Marks Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The icon of the Feast of the Precious Cross tells the communicative of the uncovering of the Cross and of its Exaltation. Public Domain.

Greece and Christians passim the satellite people the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross celebrated each twelvemonth connected September 14th.

The Feast commemorates the find of the True Cross. Legend holds that the relic was recovered by Saint Helen, parent of Constantine the Great, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land astir the twelvemonth 326.

The Chapel of Saint Helen wrong the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built by the Crusaders successful her honor, and beneath it lies the Chapel of the Finding of the True Cross, successful which the transverse of Christ’s crucifixion was reportedly discovered.

In the twentieth twelvemonth of his reign (326), Emperor Constantine sent his parent Saint Helen to Jerusalem to venerate the beatified places and to find the tract of the Holy Sepulchre and of the Cross.

Relying upon the oral contented of the faithful, Saint Helen recovered the precious Cross unneurotic with the crosses of the 2 thieves crucified with our Lord. However, Helen had nary mode of determining which was the Cross of Christ.

With the healing of a dying pistillate who touched 1 of the crosses, Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem identified the True Cross of Christ.

The Patriarch mounted the ambo (pulpit) and lifted the Cross with some hands truthful that each of the radical gathered could spot it. The assemblage responded with “Lord person mercy.”

This became the juncture of the instauration successful each of the Churches of the Exaltation of the Precious Cross, not lone successful representation of the lawsuit of the uncovering of the Cross but besides to observe however an instrumentality of shame was utilized to flooded decease and bring salvation and eternal life.

The Icon of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

As the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America explains, the icon of the Feast of the Precious Cross tells the communicative of the uncovering of the Cross and of its Exaltation.

Patriarch Macarius is lasting successful the pulpit elevating the Cross for each to spot and venerate. On each broadside of the Patriarch are deacons holding candles. The elevated Cross is surrounded and venerated by galore clergy and laic people, including Saint Helen, the parent of Emperor Constantine.

In the inheritance of the icon is simply a domed operation that represents the Church of the Resurrection successful Jerusalem. This religion was 1 of the churches constructed and dedicated by Emperor Constantine connected the beatified sites of Jerusalem.

The past enactment successful the opening of the video should beryllium “wounder of demons” alternatively of “wonder of demons.”