Feast of the Cross

[Jordan_Francis]

I’ve never celebrated the Feast of the Exhaltation of the Cross before. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can celebrate it? (outside of Mass) I live on my own. Any relevant and especially traditional prayers would be appreciated and also any traditions you might do around her home.

thanks.

 

[Kuryakyn]

I’ve never celebrated the Feast of the Exhaltation of the Cross before. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can celebrate it? (outside of Mass) I live on my own. Any relevant and especially traditional prayers would be appreciated and also any traditions you might do around her home.

thanks.

Well, it’s a pretty important feast day in the Ukrainian church, and most of the customs etc. take place in the church: the procession, venerating the cross, etc. But there are some lovely prayers/hymns that can be said at home as well as in church. I think the one we use a lot for this feast (and the great fast) is this one:

We bow in worship to Your Holy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection. It has always been sung, but I see no problem with you just reciting it if you prefer.

I will look about more tomorrow and see if I remember any others.

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Meditate on this discourse by St. Andrew of Crete (from the Office of Readings for September 14):

"We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light. 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. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross that he who wins it has won a treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for on it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us.

"Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ’s side, blood and water for the world’s cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be canceled, we should not have attained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.

"Therefore, the cross is something wonderfully great and honorable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation – very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honorable because it is both the sign of God’s suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world.

“The cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as his his triumph. We recognize it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake. As to the cross being Christ’s glory, listen to his words: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once. And again: Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be. And once more: Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: I have glorified it and will glorify it again. Here he speaks of the glory that would accrue to him through the cross. And if you would understand that the cross is Christ’s triumph, hear what he himself also said: When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself. Now you can see that the cross is Christ’s glory and triumph.”

 

[marymol]

’ We adore You, O Christ and we praise You, for by Thy Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world ’ - those timeless prayers that are part of the Stations of The Cross …

The Cross , that help us to feel, at one , even with the weakness and shortcomings of others… for the healing compassion …for we know He has the Power … that can flow to us children … … to overcome the fears and divisions …

 

[LilyM]

And remember that it’s actually called the Feast of the TRIUMPH or EXALTATION of the Holy Cross.

The Cross isn’t just something sad and wearisome to be grudgingly borne. it is for us, as it was for Christ Himself who embraced it and for the Emperor Constantine for whom it appeared as a sign in the sky, a weapon for us and our sure way to triumph over sin and evil, and death too.

And we should rejoice every time we take up our own crosses - voluntary penances and involuntary sufferings - in union with His. Every time we do so our victory is a little surer.

 

[Pani_Rose]

From byzcath.org
http://www.byzcath.org/images/exaltation-cross-115.jpg
September 14
** The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross **

Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance. Grant victory to Your     Church over her enemies, and protect Your people by Your Cross.      *(Troparion)*
                                                               

                       **         Today's Scripture **
                      
                      **         Exodus 15:22-25** - Then Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea,         and… they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. … And         the people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" And he         cried to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, and he threw it into         the water, and the water became sweet.          (Vespers)
                      
                               ** Proverbs 3:18** - She         is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast         are called happy.          (Vespers)
                      
                               ** Isaiah 60:14** - The         sons of those who oppressed you shall come bending low to you; and all         who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the         City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.          (Vespers)
                      
                               ** John 12:36** – “While         you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of         light."          (Matins)
                      
                               ** 1 Corinthians 1:18** -         For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us         who are being saved it is the power of God.          (Divine Liturgy)
                      
                               ** John 19:26-30** - When         Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he         said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the         disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took         her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now         finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst." A bowl full of         vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop         and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said,         "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.          (Divine Liturgy)  (RSV)
                      
                      **          Today's Feast**