Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A heartfelt congratulations to all of you with the great feast of the Lord, the Elevation of the Precious and Live-giving Cross!

Today we commemorate and celebrate various events from Church history that are related to the Cross. The main event that we remember is the finding of the Cross by St. Helena and its elevation (i. e. its lifting up, so that the masses of believers that had gathered could see it and venerate it). We also remember the miraculous appearance of the Cross to the Emperor Constantine in 312 before the battle with Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. Finally, we commemorate the return of the Cross from captivity in Persia by the Emperor Heraclius in 630. You can read more about these events yourselves at home. Today we should also not forget the crucifixion, death and burial of our Saviour. Today’s Gospel reading reminded us of this.

Since the day that the Cross was found, today’s feastday was especially solemnly marked in Jerusalem. Yearly, on this day, pilgrims, hierarchs, priests and monks from all the ends of the eastern Roman Empire would gather in Jerusalem to venerate the Cross, which, like was originally done when St. Helena found the Cross, was lifted up (remember how this feast is described in the Life of St. Mary of Egypt). Festivities continued, as is the custom today, for eight days, with special church services in the different churches of Jerusalem. In the 7th century, after the return of the Cross from Persia, this festival quickly spread throughout the entire eastern Church and began to be celebrated everywhere.

The existence of this feast and the manner in which, in the olden days, many different people (including great sinners like Mary of Egypt) from all corners of the world gathered around the Cross in Jerusalem reminds us of how Christ, spreading His precious hands on the Cross, as if opening His arms to us, calls us fallen humans to return to Him. How much suffering did He endure to make this return possible? Keeping this in mind, let us shun sin, turn towards Jesus crucified on the Cross with open arms, and join ourselves to Him.

priest Alexis