Today, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, one of the great feasts of the Church.
The Cross stands at the very heart of our Christian faith. It is the sign of Christ’s love for humanity, revealed through His voluntary suffering and sacrifice for the salvation of the world. Through the Cross, Christ conquered sin and death and opened the way to eternal life.
The feast also commemorates the discovery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem by Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. According to Church tradition, after the discovery of the Cross, it was solemnly raised so that the faithful could see and venerate it. The feast also recalls the return of the Cross to Jerusalem after it had been taken to Persia.
During the celebration, the Cross is solemnly lifted up in the church. We bow before it not as an object of worship in itself, but because through the Cross we worship and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified upon it.
The Cross also reminds us that Christian life is not free from suffering, sacrifice, or difficulty. Yet when we carry our own crosses with faith, patience, and love, we do not carry them alone. Christ Himself walks with us and strengthens us.
May the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord protect our families, strengthen our parish, and guide us toward repentance, faith, and the joy of the Resurrection.
We wish everyone a blessed Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord!