The Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross in Jerusalem

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem celebrated the feast of the All-Glorious Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Friday, September 14/27, 2024.

The whole Church, especially that of Jerusalem, renews in its memory that Saint Helen, sent to the Holy Land by her son, the glorious king and equal to the apostles, Constantine the Great, found the Holy and Life-giving Cross on Golgotha ​​and the Lord’s Holy Sepulchre, and erected the surrounding complex of the Church of the Resurrection in the decade 326-336 AD.

To the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified in the flesh and risen from the dead, the Archbishop of Jerusalem Makarios held the consecration of this surrounding Church in the presence of Saint Helen on September 13, 336 AD. Then he raised the Cross of Christ so the assembled multitudes could gaze at it from afar, who repeatedly chanted “Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy”.

Since then, this act has remained a tradition in the Church, celebrated on September 14th, the day after the feast of the consecration.

In honour of this event of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a Great Patriarchal Vespers was held in the evening in the Catholicon of the Church of the Resurrection, with all the Holy Sepulchre Fathers who venerated the Deposition slate, the Holy Sepulchre and Golgotha, there was the incense offering around the shrines and the Blessing of bread, as the service was presided over by His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem.

On the morning of the feast day, Friday, September 14/27, 2024, the Divine Liturgy at the Catholicon was officiated by His Beatitude with con-celebrants their Eminences, Metropolitan Isychios of Capitolias, the Archbishops, Theophanes of Gerash, Dorotheos of Avila, Aristarchos of Constantina, Methodios of Tabor, Theodosios of Sebasteia, Dimitrios of Lydda and Aristovoulos of Madaba, the Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios and the Archimandrites, Klaudios, Philoumenos, Amphilochios, Raphael, Makarios, Dionysios, Meletios, Christodoulos, the Head of the Russian MISSIA Archimandrite Vassianos, the representative of the Romanian Patriarchate, Archimandrite Ioannis, Priests from other Orthodox Churches, Priest George from Saint James Cathedral, the visiting Priests Dimitrios, Stephanos and Charalambos, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Dositheos. The chanting was delivered by Mr Eustathios Tsoumanis as the service was attended by the Consul Mrs Anna Mandika, members of the Greek Consulate in Jerusalem and a local congregation.

The Liturgy was followed by a litany under the supervision of the Master of the Ceremonies of the Patriarchate Archimandrite Bartholomew. Led by the Holy Cross, the litany moved from the Catholicon to the Deposition Slate, then down the stairs, passing in front of Saint Helen’s chapel. The deacons offered incense at the Altar of the Armenian chapel and the throne of Saint Helen to the place where the Cross was found, and the litany concluded at the cave for the service of the Exaltation by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, with the relevant troparia of the Exaltation being chanted. Then the Hierarchs and the Consulate members venerated the place of the finding of the Cross.

The litany continued toward the Sacred Edicule, processed three times around it as the Precious Wood was held on top of the heads of alternating Bishops, then went to Golgotha, for another Exaltation in the four points of the horizon, finishing with the veneration by all present.

At the end of the service, the Precious Wood was offered to the people for veneration, placed in the case of King Justine.

Finally, the Patriarchal Entourage returned to the Patriarchate’s Reception Hall, where His Beatitude delivered the following address:

“Today the Cross is exalted and the demons are put to flight. Today the whole creation is freed from corruption; for through the Cross, every gift hath shined upon us. Wherefore, in gladness we all fall down before Thee, saying: How magnified are Thy works, O Lord, Glory to Thee!” (Vespers, Entreaty, Glory), the hymnographer of the Church proclaims.

Your Excellency, Consul General of Greece, Mr Dimitrios Angelosopoulos,

Reverend Holy Fathers and Brothers,

Dear Christians and Pilgrims

Today our Holy Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross, which was found by the mother of Constantine the Great, Saint Helen, as it was hidden at the place of the crucifixion of our God and Saviour Christ, and where we celebrated the commemoration of this great wonder.

Having been taken up to the third heaven, Saint Paul writes to the Galatians: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6,14). Regarding this, Saint Chrysostom says: “And what is the boast of the cross? That Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant for my sake, and suffered all that He suffered, for me, the servant, the enemy, the ungrateful, because despite these, He loved me so much, to the point of sacrificing Himself”.

In this interpretation of Saint Chrysostom, he denotes the redeeming significance of the Holy Cross for us humans, as through the Cross, we were justified through the sacred blood and sacrifice of Christ; “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5,9). Moreover, He stresses the infinite love of God to us; “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3,16).

Saint Paul says about the divine and life-giving power of the Cross: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God… For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1,18-21).

In other words, the special state to which God refers through Christ’s presence in the world is not the wisdom of the people, but the power of the faith, as Zigavinos comments: “Then the thoughts were needed. Not any more now. The mystery of the Divine Incarnation exceeds them, needing only faith”.

It is shown by the above that the mystery of the Incarnation was completed, it was sealed, by the passion on the Cross and Christ’s Resurrection. Therefore, let us say along with the hymnographer: “Rejoice, O Holy Cross; through thee is corruption quelled, incorruption hath blossomed forth; we, who are mortals born of earth, have been deified; and in utter loss hath the devil been overthrown. Looking on thee, exalted today, with faith and love we exalt Him Who was exalted on thee for us; and thee do we worship, richly drawing forth divine and great mercy for our souls” (Vespers, Aposticha, Troparion 3). Amen. Many happy returns, peace to the world, and our tested region.”

The congregation glorified the Merciful God for the blessing He has granted to the world through the Thrice-blessed Wood, where His Son was crucified and through Whom salvation came to the world.

From the General Secretariat

Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem