On Sunday, September 11, the worldwide Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross-one of the five major feasts of the Church, and the most important of the four feasts of the Holy Cross. The services at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral will commence at 9:30 a.m. with a Morning Prayer Service which will be followed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. The Primate will be the Celebrant and Homilist on the Feast Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Published on Sep 09 2011 by Divan of the Diocese
On Sunday, September 11, the worldwide Armenian Church will celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross-one of the five major feasts of the Church, and the most important of the four feasts of the Holy Cross. The services at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral will commence at 9:30 a.m. with a Morning Prayer Service which will be followed by the celebration of the Divine Liturgy at 10:30 a.m. The Primate will be the Celebrant and Homilist on the Feast Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The cross is a source of great pride for Armenians as a khachagir-or “cross-bearing”-nation. Over the centuries, Armenians have borne Christ’s cross with faith, hope, and love. What was once an instrument of torture and death became for Christians the symbol of salvation, and victory over death.
The Exaltation refers to the ceremonious elevation of the True Cross on which Christ was crucified. According to church tradition, the cross was elevated for veneration on three occasions. It was first elevated by St. James the Apostle, the first Bishop of Jerusalem, who lifted the cross with the words, “We bow before thy cross, O Christ”-a formulation still used in the Armenian liturgy.
The second occasion involved the discovery of the cross after a period of some 300 years. In 326 A.D., Queen Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, traveled to Jerusalem to identify the holy places associated with Christ’s life. She authenticated the True Cross by placing upon it the body of a recently deceased youth, who was miraculously raised to life.
The third occasion came in the 7th century, when the Persians had seized the cross of Jesus after conquering the city of Jerusalem. Leading a coalition of forces, including Armenians, the Emperor Heraclius recaptured the cross and, en route to Jerusalem, passed with it through Armenia, where the cross was repeatedly raised up and venerated.
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Divine 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 symbol for all the world.
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