The Exaltation of the Holy Cross and the Sign of the Cross
By Rev. Kamil AlChouefati
The holy Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th of each year. This feast is associated with the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on Mount Calvary. After this incident, the traces of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified disappeared because the Romans threw it into the large hole that was near Mount Calvary to keep Christians from visiting the place and venerating the holy cross. The situation continued like this until the year 326 AD when Saint Helena, the Empress, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, came to Jerusalem to search for the wood of the holy cross.
When she asked about the matter, she was told that the cross was buried near the temple of Venus, which was built by Emperor Hadrian. She ordered the place to be dug up and found three crosses. When she did not know which was the true cross of Christ, Patriarch Macarius suggested that they be placed one after the other on the body of one of the dead whose funeral was taking place in the area at that time. When the third cross was placed, the dead man miraculously returned to life. After that, they placed the cross on a sick woman and she was healed immediately. Then the Patriarch Macarius raised the wood of the cross for all those present to see, and they chanted, "Lord, have mercy", with tears of joy streaming from their eyes. Saint Helena raised the holy cross on Mount Calvary and built over it the church known to this day as the Church of the Resurrection.
In 614 AD, Khosrau the Persian king invaded Jerusalem and captured thousands of Christians, led by Patriarch Zacharias, and transferred them to his country. He took the relic of the holy cross as booty, and it remained in his possession for fourteen years. In 628 AD, Emperor Heraclitus was able to defeat the Persians, and he returned the relic of the holy cross and all the prisoners with Patriarch Zacharias safely after 14 years in captivity. Emperor Heraclitus brought the cross to Constantinople, which came out with all its people to welcome him with lamps and hymns of victory and joy. After a year, Emperor Heraclitus came to Jerusalem to install the cross in its place on Mount Golgotha. Since that time, the Church has celebrated the 14th of September as the feast of the finding of the holy cross by Saint Helena and the retrieval of the wood of the holy cross from Persia by Emperor Heraclitus.
Jesus Christ chose the cross, which was considered an instrument of shame, disgrace, curse and punishment for thieves and criminals, and turned it into an instrument of victory, glory and salvation for humanity. "And I, being lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32). The Lord Jesus Christ conquered the world not by the power of weapons but by the cross of His suffering and death, so the cross became the key to the heavenly kingdom for humanity, and the victory is for the power of truth, love and justice.
The Church, consequently, teaches us to do this: we put our right hand on the forehead and say, "In the name of the Father," for the father is our heavenly father who is above all. Then we put our hand on the breast and say, "and the son," because he condescended and became incarnate. Then we move our hand from the left shoulder to the right saying, "and the Holy Spirit," who by the power of His work based on the redemption of Christ we have moved from the left to right, from rejection to acceptance, and from darkness to his wonderful light. Then we say," one God," acknowledging the oneness of God in three persons. This is an apostolic tradition.
The sign of the cross terrifies demons. The cross has become a sign that distinguishes Christians, and they are proud of it. (1 Cor. 1:18 + 1 Cor. 2:2 + Gal. 1:3 +14:6). The cross reminds us of the work of redemption, so we rejoice, and it reminds Satan of his defeat and fate in the lake of fire, so he is terrified. By uttering the name of the Trinity, we find that the power of the name terrifies the demons, so they stay away, and the place is sanctified. Therefore, we make the sign of the cross when starting any work or meeting or any danger. Making the sign of the cross is an acknowledgment of the Lord's death for us on the cross, and through baptism we share with Him in this death and in His resurrection.
The sign of the cross makes the death of Christ not a historical fact but an ever-present fact.
When she asked about the matter, she was told that the cross was buried near the temple of Venus, which was built by Emperor Hadrian. She ordered the place to be dug up and found three crosses. When she did not know which was the true cross of Christ, Patriarch Macarius suggested that they be placed one after the other on the body of one of the dead whose funeral was taking place in the area at that time. When the third cross was placed, the dead man miraculously returned to life. After that, they placed the cross on a sick woman and she was healed immediately. Then the Patriarch Macarius raised the wood of the cross for all those present to see, and they chanted, "Lord, have mercy", with tears of joy streaming from their eyes. Saint Helena raised the holy cross on Mount Calvary and built over it the church known to this day as the Church of the Resurrection.
In 614 AD, Khosrau the Persian king invaded Jerusalem and captured thousands of Christians, led by Patriarch Zacharias, and transferred them to his country. He took the relic of the holy cross as booty, and it remained in his possession for fourteen years. In 628 AD, Emperor Heraclitus was able to defeat the Persians, and he returned the relic of the holy cross and all the prisoners with Patriarch Zacharias safely after 14 years in captivity. Emperor Heraclitus brought the cross to Constantinople, which came out with all its people to welcome him with lamps and hymns of victory and joy. After a year, Emperor Heraclitus came to Jerusalem to install the cross in its place on Mount Golgotha. Since that time, the Church has celebrated the 14th of September as the feast of the finding of the holy cross by Saint Helena and the retrieval of the wood of the holy cross from Persia by Emperor Heraclitus.
Jesus Christ chose the cross, which was considered an instrument of shame, disgrace, curse and punishment for thieves and criminals, and turned it into an instrument of victory, glory and salvation for humanity. "And I, being lifted up from the Earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32). The Lord Jesus Christ conquered the world not by the power of weapons but by the cross of His suffering and death, so the cross became the key to the heavenly kingdom for humanity, and the victory is for the power of truth, love and justice.
The Church, consequently, teaches us to do this: we put our right hand on the forehead and say, "In the name of the Father," for the father is our heavenly father who is above all. Then we put our hand on the breast and say, "and the son," because he condescended and became incarnate. Then we move our hand from the left shoulder to the right saying, "and the Holy Spirit," who by the power of His work based on the redemption of Christ we have moved from the left to right, from rejection to acceptance, and from darkness to his wonderful light. Then we say," one God," acknowledging the oneness of God in three persons. This is an apostolic tradition.
The sign of the cross terrifies demons. The cross has become a sign that distinguishes Christians, and they are proud of it. (1 Cor. 1:18 + 1 Cor. 2:2 + Gal. 1:3 +14:6). The cross reminds us of the work of redemption, so we rejoice, and it reminds Satan of his defeat and fate in the lake of fire, so he is terrified. By uttering the name of the Trinity, we find that the power of the name terrifies the demons, so they stay away, and the place is sanctified. Therefore, we make the sign of the cross when starting any work or meeting or any danger. Making the sign of the cross is an acknowledgment of the Lord's death for us on the cross, and through baptism we share with Him in this death and in His resurrection.
The sign of the cross makes the death of Christ not a historical fact but an ever-present fact.
