Prayer of the Lord’s Prayer for the Faithful

On September 27, Orthodox believers celebrate one of the twelve great feasts – the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, which is established in memory of the acquisition and erection of the Cross of Christ.

The history of the holiday is associated with the name of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. At the beginning of the fourth century he stopped the persecution of Christians and became the patron of the new faith. One day, before the battle, Constantine and his army saw a cross in the sky with the inscription “This is victory.” The next night Jesus Christ appeared to him with the Cross, promising victory. Jesus Christ commanded to make a banner with the image of the Cross.

Constantine did the will of the Lord and defeated the enemy. He protected Christians and proclaimed the faith of Christ to be supreme. The Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine sought to erect temples of God on the places associated with the birth, suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as to find the Cross on which the Savior was crucified. For the embodiment of this idea took his mother, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helena.

In 326, Helena went to Jerusalem. She sought the Cross, asking Christians and Jews. Finally, she was pointed to an old Jew, Judas, who told her that the Cross was hidden in a cave under a pagan temple. When the cave was excavated, they found three crosses and a tablet reading “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”.

To determine which of the crosses was the Cross of Christ, Patriarch Macarius alternately presented them to a seriously ill woman. There was no miracle from the first two crosses, but when the third was lifted, the woman was healed. Then they began to bring crosses to the deceased, and when the third was laid, he came to life. This convinced everyone that the Life-Creating Cross was found.

Because of the large number of people, not everyone could see and kiss the Cross. Then Patriarch Macarius raised him to an elevated place so that everyone could worship. Helena sent part of the Cross to her son, and left part in Jerusalem. Constantine ordered the construction of a temple in Jerusalem in honor of the Resurrection of Christ and other temples in Bethlehem, Hebron and on the Mount of Olives.

The creation of the cross of God has its own characteristics. In the evening before the feast, the priest places a Cross decorated with flowers on the throne and places a candle in front of it. The cross is decorated with greenery and flowers, symbolizing eternal life given through it. Begins all-night vigil - solemn vespers and matins. During the evening service, the Cross is carried out for worship.

In cathedrals and large temples, the rite of erecting the Cross is held. A bishop or senior priest, saying prayers, raises the Cross, overshadowing the believers with it. Then they sing the Kondak of the Exaltation, and all worship the Cross.

According to church regulations, on this day a one-day fast is observed in memory of the sufferings of Jesus Christ.

People on the day of the Exaltation collected medicinal plants that were considered healing. For example, cornflowers, cloves, basil and chabre were decorated with the Crucifixion, and then used to treat various diseases.

Photo: Julianne Zenyuk, ONT