On September 14 we will be celebrating the Elevation of the
Cross, and by celebrating, I mean fasting.
For this is one of two feast days which we actually commemorate with
fasting. Just what are we commemorating
with this feast?
In 326 AD St. Helen, the
mother of Constantine,
made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. While at the site of Golgotha,
St. Helen found the cross on which Christ was crucified. Near the cross was also a beautiful and
unknown flower, which we now call basil (from Greek, "Vasiliko")
meaning "of the King," and named for the King of Glory.
How did St. Helen know she had found the cross of Christ the
King? It is said that
Underneath the Basil, the Cross of Christ was found, but
with it were the other two crosses, those used to crucify the two thieves on
either side of Christ. The sign with the inscription, "Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews", also lay among the three crosses. In order to
determine which one was the true cross, a sick woman was told to kiss each of
the three crosses. The woman kissed the first cross with no result. She kissed
the second cross and again nothing happened. However, when the ailing woman
kissed the True Cross, she was immediately made well. It so happened that a
funeral procession was passing that way, and so the body of the dead man was
placed on each of the crosses, and when it was placed on the True Cross, the
dead man came to life — thus the name the “Life-Giving” Cross, which gives life
not only to that man, but to each person who believes in the sacrifice of
Christ on the Cross and His all-glorious three day Resurrection.*
When the identity of the cross was known, it was then lifted
up (elevated) for all to see.
That is the first part of our commemoration, but there is
more. In 614 AD the Persians attacked Jerusalem and captured
the Cross. But in 627 AD, Emperor
Heraclius defeated the Persians at the Battle of Nineveh and reclaimed the
Cross. When the Emperor returned with
the Cross to Jerusalem
in 630 AD, it was placed in the Temple
of the Resurrection and again lifted up for all to see and venerate.
In addition to a special Troparion and Kontakion, there is a
special hymn that replaces the Trisagion on this feast day.
Troparion:
O Lord, save Thy people, / And
bless Thine inheritance. / Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians / Over
their adversaries / And by the virtue of Thy Cross / Preserve Thy habitation
Kontakion:
As You were voluntarily raised upon
the cross for our sake, / Grant mercy to those who are called by Your Name, O
Christ God; / Make all Orthodox Christians glad by Your power, / Granting them
victories over their adversaries, / By bestowing on them the Invincible trophy,
Your weapon of Peace.
Instead of the Trisagion we sing:
Before Thy Cross we bow down in
worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify. (Three times)
Glory to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
both now and ever, and unto the
ages of ages. Amen.
And Thy holy Resurrection we
glorify.
Before Thy Cross we bow down in
worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify.
Lesson for Children:
Show your children an icon of the Elevation of the Cross and
tell them the stories of the finding and recapturing of the it.
As the feast falls on a Saturday this year, make an effort
to attend Vigil (or Vespers) Friday night (what a great excuse to let them stay
up late!), and the Liturgy Saturday morning.
They'll be able to see the cross decorated with flowers or basil
branches, and hear the hymns venerating it.
Plan a craft. Below
are two ideas. The first is
preschoolers, and the second for slightly older children.
Elevation of the cross bookmark
Supplies:
Cardstock paper
Template
Icon of the Elevation of the Cross
Scissors
Glue
Fine tip marker
Laminating pouch (optional)
Use the template to print a cross on cardstock paper. Cut it out.
On one side glue a small icon of the Elevation of the Cross (you can let
your child choose one online and print out a thumbnail print). On the other side write one of the hymns
above. Laminate it to make it sturdier
if desired and cut around the edges.
Although you'll need to do the writing (or print out the hymn and let your
child glue it on), let your child to as much of the work as possible, even if
it isn't perfect.
Beaded Prayer Rope
30 medium sized beads
29-31 tiny beads (for spacers)
a length of jewelry string
small wooden cross
paint & paint brush
Paint the cross in any color. While the cross dries, string the beads on
alternating large and small. You can
choose whether to have the large beads or the smaller beads flush with the
cross. For symmetry's sake, add the
cross and put the string through in both directions (an adult may need to do
the finishing off). Tie two small knots
on either side. To help it stay tied and
hide the knots, paint them to match the cross.
Alternately, string the cross just like the beads and tie a
single knot to one side.
