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In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. While Good Friday is dedicated to the Passion of Christ and the Crucifixion, these days celebrate the cross itself, as the instrument of salvation.
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This feast is called in Greek Ὕψωσις τοῦ Τιμίου Σταυροῦ (literally, "Raising Aloft of the Precious Cross"). In Latin it is called Exaltatio Sanctae Crucis (literally, "Raising Aloft of the Holy Cross". (The word "Exaltatio" is sometimes translated as "Exaltation", at other times, as in the 1973 ICEL translation, as "Triumph".) In some parts of the Anglican Communion the feast is called Holy Cross Day, a name also used by Lutherans. The celebration is sometimes called Feast of the Glorious Cross.[1]
According to legends that spread widely throughout Western Europe, the True Cross was discovered in 326 by Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, during a pilgrimage she made to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross[2] placed inside it. Other legends explain that in 614, that portion of the cross was carried away from the church by the Persians, and remained missing until it was recaptured by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 628. Initially taken to Constantinople, the cross was returned to the church the following year.
The date of the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335. This was a two-day festival: although the actual consecration of the church was on September 13, the cross itself was brought outside the church on September 14 so that the clergy and faithful could pray before the True Cross, and all could come forward to venerate it.
In Roman Catholic liturgical observance, red vestments are worn at church services conducted on this day, and if the day falls on a Sunday, its Mass is used instead of that for the occurring Sunday in Ordinary Time, what some would call a Sunday after Pentecost.
Until 1969, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the calendar week after the one in which 14 September falls were designated as one of each year's four sets of Ember days by the Church in the West. Organization of these celebrations is now left to the decision of episcopal conferences in view of local conditions and customs.
September 14 is the titular feast of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the Episcopal Church's Order of the Holy Cross. This date also marks the beginning of the period of fasting, stipulated in the Carmelite Rule of St. Albert. The fast ends Easter Sunday.
In Byzantine liturgical observance, the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-creating Cross commemorates both the finding of the True Cross in 326 and its recovery from the Persians in 628, and is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the church year. September 14 is always a fast day and the eating of meat, dairy products and fish is prohibited. The Feast of the Exaltation has a one-day Forefeast and an eight-day Afterfeast. The Saturday and Sunday before and after September 14 are also commemorated with special Epistle and Gospel readings about the Cross at the Divine Liturgy.
At vespers on the eve of the feast, the cross is taken from the vessel repository, placed on a tray that has been covered with an Aër (liturgical veil) and decorated with fresh basil leaves and flowers with a candle burning before it, and the priest carries it on his head to the Holy Table (altar) where it is laid in the place of the Gospel Book, which is set at the high place. Those portions of the vespers and matins which in sundry local customs take place before the Icon of the Feast (e.g.,the chanting of the Polyeleos and the Matins Gospel) instead take place in front of the Holy Table.[3]
The bringing out of the cross and the exaltation ceremony occur at matins thus:[4]
... after the Great Doxology, during the singing of the final "Holy God" to a drawn-out, funereal melody, the cross is carried out of the altar by the priest or bishop, upon his head, through the north doors, then carried up to the royal doors with the exclamation, "Wisdom, aright!" It is then set upon an analogion in the center of the temple. A censing is performed around the cross to the thrice-repeated singing of the troparion, "Save, O Lord, Thy people," after which in cathedrals and monasteries[note 1] the exaltation of the cross and the blessing of the people on all four sides therewith takes place, to multiple repetitions of "Lord, have mercy." At this time the deacon pronounces a special litany, at each petition of which "Lord, have mercy" is sung one hundred times. The exaltation itself consists of the following: with the cross the priest or bishop thrice blesses the side for which the exaltation is about to take place (first the east, then the west, then the south, then the north, then again the east); he then bows down to the earth, holding the cross in both hands, until his head is an inch above the ground. He then "raises himself up;" that is, he stands up. During this the servers support the priest — or the senior priests, the bishop — beneath his arms on both sides. Both the bowing down and the standing up must be done slowly, while "Lord, have mercy" is being sung one hundred times; the bow should be performed during the singing of the first half of the hundred, i.e., the first fifty repetitions of "Lord, have mercy," and the raising up, during the singing of the second half of the hundred. At the end of the hundred repetitions the priest again blesses thrice with the cross, and the choir sings "Lord, have mercy" the final three times especially loudly. This should recall how, at the finding of the cross, Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem ascended to an elevated place and from there raised the cross in all directions so that all might see it, and the people, throwing themselves down before the cross, cried out, "Lord, have mercy." After the fifth exaltation, "Glory, both now" is sung, followed by the kontakion to the cross: "O Thou Who wast lifted up willingly on the cross…" During the singing of the kontakion the cross is again laid on the analogion, after which the veneration of the cross takes place. "Before Thy cross we fall down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify" is sung thrice, first by the clergy, then by the choirs. After each repetition a prostration is made, regardless of what day of the week it may be. Then the choir sings special stichera to the cross, during which first the clergy, then all the worshipers venerate the cross, making three prostrations before it, as usual; that is, two prostrations before venerating, then one after venerating. The exaltation of the cross is not always performed; only in cathedrals and monasteries[note 1]. If there has been no exaltation, the adoration of the cross with the singing of "Before Thy cross…" takes place immediately after the troparion — "Save, O Lord, Thy people" — and the censing. If the exaltation of the cross has been performed, after the veneration of the cross the augmented litany, "Have mercy on us, O God…," is not pronounced, as is usual at a vigil; instead the supplicatory litany is immediately said: "Let us complete our morning prayer unto the Lord." During the bringing out of the cross the ringing of the bells is appointed. The chief clergyman, who carries out the cross, regardless of whether he is a priest or a bishop, vests in full vesture before the time for the bringing out of the cross.[3]
The cross remains in the center of the temple throughout the afterfeast, and the faithful venerate it whenever they enter or leave the church. Finally, on the leave-taking (apodosis) of the feast, the priest and deacon will cense around the cross, there will be a final veneration of the cross, and then they will solemnly bring the cross back into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors. This same pattern of bringing out the cross, veneration, and returning the cross at the end of the celebration is repeated at a number of the lesser Feasts of the Cross mentioned below.
The Armenian Apostolic Church observes a five-day fast, called the Fast of the Holy Cross from September 10 through September 14, in preparation for the Feast of the Holy Church in view of the Holy Cross, which they celebrate on September 15. September 16 is observed as the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Khachverats in Armenian), a feast which continues for several days thereafter. It is counted as one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church, and the most important of the four feasts of the Holy Cross. According to Armenian tradition, the first one to "exalt" the Cross was the Apostle James of Jerusalem, the "Brother of the Lord". On the Sunday nearest September 14, the liturgy is marked with an antasdan service (blessing of the fields) during which the processional cross is adorned with basil (a symbol of royalty) and the four corners of the church are blessed as a sign of the sanctification of the world.
On the Sunday nearest September 28 (always two weeks after the Exaltation) the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak (Varaka Khach) commemorating the third century placement of an authentic relic of the cross in Armenian soil at Varagavank. This is a cross feast unique to the Armenian Church.
On the Sunday closest to October 26, the Armenian Church celebrates the Discovery of the Holy Cross (Kyood Khach), commemorating the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena (327 AD).
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, one of Oriental Orthodox Churches, commemorates the finding of the true cross on Meskerem 17 of the Ethiopian Calendar correspondng to September 27 in the Julian Calendar (or, in leap years, one day later. The eve of this day is popularly called "Demera" in Amharic - meaning Bonfire. The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church lights a large bonfire in Maskal Square, Addis Ababa's greatest open arena, and smaller bonfires are lit by individuals and local parishes throughout the country. Thousands attend the colourful and vibrant ceremony of religious chantings around the bonfire in Maskal Square, which owes its name to the ceremony, "maskal" meaning in Ge'ez "cross". According to tradition, the bonfire commemorates how Queen Helena, as legend has it, found with the smoke of a bonfire, where to search for the true cross in Jerusalem, or how, by a series of bonfires, she signalled to her son Constantine in Constantinople her success in finding it.
In the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church a special offering called panchasarayumanda is made on this day, in particular at the Akaparambu Mor Sabor-Mor Aphroth Church in the Ernakulam District, Kerala.
The Assyrian Church of the East celebrates the finding of the Cross on September 13, and considers it to be a major feast. The Assyrian Church considers the Sign of the Cross to be a seventh sacrament, by which all of the other sacraments are sealed and perfected (it takes the place of marriage, which they do not name in their traditional list of sacraments). Saranaya (Assyrian) hold a shara every year in cities like Chicago, Illinois, and Modesto, California, and other parts of the world. The shara in Modesto is held every Sunday prior to September 13 at East La Loma Park, where they sacrifice lambs in remembrance of the Feast Of the Cross. People gather and feast and sing and dance to celebrate a happy day.
In the Russian Orthodox Church, October 12th is the commemoration of the Translation of a Portion of the Life-Giving Cross from Malta to Gatchina.
A portion of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, as well as the Philermos icon of the Mother of God and the right hand of St. John the Baptist were preserved on the island of Malta by the Knights of the Catholic Order of St. John of Jerusalem, who controlled the island.
In 1798, when the French seized the island, the Maltese Knights turned to the Russian Empire for defense and protection. To this end, they elected Paul I, the Tsar of Russia, as Grand Master of the Order. The Tsar accepted his election. On October 12, 1799, Maltese knights came to their new Priory Palace, just built for them by Paul in Gatchina (45 km. [27 miles] south of St. Petersburg), and offered these ancient and holy treasures to their new Grand Master, the Tsar.
In the autumn of 1799 the holy items were transferred to St. Petersburg and placed in the Winter Palace within the internal church dedicated to the Icon of the Savior Not-Made-by-Hands. The Feast for this event was established in 1800.[5]
On the liturgical calendar of the Eastern Orthodox Church, this day commemorates the Uncovering of the Precious Cross and the Precious Nails by Empress Saint Helen—that is to say, the anniversary of the actual discovery; the date for the September 14 feast was determined by the Consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is a lesser feast, and does not have any of the liturgical peculiarities of the September 14 feast.
In the Gallican usage, beginning about the seventh century, the Feast of the Cross was celebrated on May 3, and called "Crouchmas" (for "Cross Mass") or "Roodmas". When the Gallican and Roman practices were combined, the September date was assigned to commemorating the rescue of the Cross from the Sassanid Persians, and the May date was kept as the Finding of the Holy Cross or Invention of the True Cross to commemorate the finding. (In this context "invention" (from Latin invenire, "to find") does not have the modern sense of creating something new.) Pope John XXIII removed this duplication in 1960, so that the Roman Calendar now celebrates the Holy Cross only on September 14.
May 3 is the date given in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer liturgy, but the new Common Worship liturgy, following the Roman Catholic Church's lead, celebrates Holy Cross Day on September 14.
The Eastern Orthodox and the Byzantine Rite Catholics commemorate the Feast of the Procession of the Venerable Wood of the Cross (or Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of Jesus Christ) on August 1. This day marks the beginning of the Dormition Fast. The propers of the feast are combined with those of the Holy Maccabean Martyrs, the commemoration of whose endurance is deemed appropriate for the first day of a fast. Unlike the September 14 observance, this commemoration is considered to be a minor feast, but it does have the bringing out of the cross and veneration by the faithful like the September feast.
The history of this feast begins in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). It was the custom there to carry the relic of the True Cross through the streets and squares of the city to ask for God's blessing, and for relief from sickness. On the eve of the feast (July 31), which is observed as a forefeast, it was taken out of the imperial treasury, and laid upon the altar of the "Great Church" (Hagia Sophia). On August 1 it was solemnly placed in the middle of the Great Church for the faithful to venerate. The relic was taken in procession daily throughout the city, offering it to the people to venerate until the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos (August 15), when it was returned again to the imperial treasury.
In commemoration of this tradition, it is customary to have a crucession (a procession headed by the cross) and celebrate the Lesser Blessing of Water on August 1. It is the first of three "Feasts of the Saviour" in the month of August, the other two being the Transfiguration (August 6) and the Icon of Christ "Not Made by Hands" (August 16). Because of the blessing of holy water, this holy day is sometimes called "Saviour of the Water." There may also be celebrated on this day the Rite of Blessing New Honey, for which reason the day is also referred to as "Saviour of the Honey."
According to Saint Nikolaj Velimirović, this feast was instituted by mutual agreement of the Greeks and Russians to commemorate the simultaneous victories of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos over the Bulgarians and the Russian Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky over the Saracens in the 12th century.[6]
In the Russian Orthodox Church, this feast also celebrates the Baptism of Rus, which occurred on August 1, 988.
In addition to celebrations on fixed days, there are certain days of the variable cycle when the Cross in celebrated.
The Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches, and some Anglican churches have a formal Adoration of the Cross during the services on Good Friday.
In the Roman Breviary before the 1961 reform, a Commemoration of the Cross is made during Eastertide except when the office or commemoration of a double or octave occurs, replacing the Suffrage of the Saints said outside Eastertide.
Eastern Christians celebrate an additional Veneration of the Cross on the third Sunday of Great Lent. The services for this day are modelled on the Feast of the Exaltation ( September 14), including bringing the cross out into the center of the church and its veneration by the faithful. It remains in the center of the church until Friday of the week following (the Fourth Week of Great Lent). On Monday and Wednesday of the Fourth Week, a Veneration of the Cross takes place at the First Hour (repeating a portion of the service from the All-night Vigil of the previous Sunday). On Friday of that week, the veneration takes place after the Ninth Hour, after which the cross is returned to the sanctuary by the priest and deacon.
In addition to all of the above commemorations, Orthodox also hold Wednesday and Friday throughout the year as a commemoration of the Cross.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, on several of the feast days mentioned above, there is a public veneration of the cross. It may take place at Matins, after the cross is brought out, at the end of the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, or at the end of one of the Little Hours, depending upon the particular feast and local custom.
The faithful come forward and make two prostrations, make the sign of the cross on themselves, and kiss the feet of Christ on the cross, and then make a third prostration. After this, they will often receive a blessing from the priest and bow towards their fellow worshippers on each side of the church (this latter practice is most commonly observed in monasteries).
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, and at some other services as well, it is customary for the faithful to come forward and venerate the "Blessing Cross" (hand-cross) which is held by the bishop or priest, and to kiss his hand. This practice is also called the "Veneration of the Cross", though it does not involve making prostrations. The cross which is venerated is small (typically 10-16 inches). This cross is usually metal, often gold or gold-plated, and can be enameled and/or decorated with jewels. The figure of Jesus on the Cross (the soma) is usually engraved, enameled, or painted on the cross, rather than being a separate three-dimensional figure as is found on a crucifix. This is due to the Orthodox practice of using icons rather than statues in church.
| Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article The True Cross. |