Strict Fast Day today.... The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of the most revered observances in all of Orthodoxy. In 325 A.D., after the persecutions against the Christians had just ended, Christians were free to express their religious feelings and to adorn their places of worship with symbols of the faith, such as the cross. Empress Helen, a devout Christian and mother of the Emperor Constantine the Great went to Jerusalem to undertake a mission to retrieve the cross upon which Christ had been crucified. After a futile search, the Empress was attracted by the scent of a plant called vasilikos (basil) in the area where Jesus had been put to death. She ordered excavation, and three crosses were unearthed. A funeral procession was passing by at that time. And the corpse was positioned on each of the crosses to determine the cross upon which Christ had died. When the person was placed on the true cross, he came to life miraculously. On September 14, the event was celebrated. Patriarch Makarios, who had also witnessed the miracle at the historic site, raised the cross and blessed the people with it as they responded, Lord, have mercy (Kyrie, eleison).
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:43:41 +0000
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