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The Feast of the Cross

Background

The earliest mention of the glorious event of the finding of the Holy Cross in patristic writings is in the Catechetical Lectures of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-386). In a sermon delivered in the Church of the Resurrection in 348, that is, twenty-two years after the discovery of the Holy Cross (326-328 AD), Saint Cyril speaks about the witnesses and testimonies concerning Christ, and adds, "The holy wood of the Cross bears witness, seen among us to this day, and from this place now almost filling the whole world, by means of those who in faith take portions from it" (Catechetical Lectures 10.19).

The Coptic Orthodox Church annually commemorates two events related to the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The first, 17th of Thoout, commemorates the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection (335 A.D) and the appearance of the Honorable Cross to the righteous Emperor Constantine the Great while he was at war (312 A.D.) The second feast of the Cross is the 10th of Paremhotep, which commemorates the discovery of the Holy Cross by Queen Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, in 326 A.D at Jerusalem, and the restoration of the cross back to the Christians in 629 A.D by Emperor Heraclius after it was stolen by the Persian King Khosrau II in 614 A.D and taken to Persia.

The first feast, at the beginning of the Coptic Year (September 27th) is three days long. The second falls during Holy Holy Fast (March 27th) and is thus one day so as to not shift focus from the Holy Great Fast. 

Socrates (c. 380-450) kept a record of relevant reports he heard from various sources of how empress Helena was directed by a divine dream to go to Jerusalem and start searching for the cross. She found that a temple to Venus had been erected on the site of the Holy Sepulcher to mislead pilgrims. She had the ground cleared and searched until three crosses were eventually found, as well as the tablet of Pilate. The doubt as to which of the three was the Holy Cross was dispelled by applying each cross in turn to the body of a dying woman in the neighborhood. When the third, which was the true Cross, touched her, she was immediately healed. Thus the genuine Cross was discovered.

Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347-407) testifies to the manifestation of the Holy Cross in the following words, "For since the wood of the cross was buried, because no one was careful to take it up, inasmuch as fear was pressing, and the believers were hurrying to their urgent matters, and since it was after times to be sought for, it was likely that three crosses would lie together. In order that the Lord's might not be unknown, it was made manifest to all, first by its lying in the middle, and then by the title" (Homily 85 on St. John).

The Coptic Orthodox Synaxarion, 17th of Thoout and 10th of Paremhotep. 

The Late Archbishop Basilious, Coptic of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church; later on consecrated as the first Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church by the Hands of the late saint, H.H. Pope Kyrillos VI, Pope and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, the See of Alexandria.

Spiritual Application 

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”

1 Corinthians 1:18

The Cross represented punishment and a curse for criminals before the crucifixion of our Lord. Now, to the Christians, the cross represents power, faith, love, suffering, and salvation. The Cross symbolizes the suffering before the victory. We are called, as Christians, to carry up our cross daily for Christ’s sake, as we will all have tribulations while resisting the ways of the world. So we glorify the Cross that was blessed with the crucifixion of our Lord and look to it always to remind ourselves of His love, and to endure difficulty for His sake throughout our daily walk.

Christians sign themselves with the cross for power or strength against Satan. Christian laymen and clergy also make the sign of the cross for a blessing. The Coptic cross fits into a circle, which symbolizes eternity. Each arm of the Cross has three branches for the Trinity. Also, the twelve branches as a whole represent the twelve disciples.

Spiritual exercise

Take advantage of this feast being so close to the beginning of the year. We started by honoring the martyrs who died for the faith and now we are given a reminder to walk our own path as Christians. We are not aiming to inflict pain upon ourselves, but we expect to encounter it as we resist the evils of the world. Start the year by keeping the Cross as your strength, power, hope, and reminder of Christ’s perfect example of walking the difficult path.

Rites

Overview

The Hosanna tune is used for both Feasts of the Cross. When the single day feast falls within the Holy Great Fast or on a Wednesday or Friday, the Hosanna tune is still used, and the church continues fasting, but without abstaining or prostrations. If the vespers of the feast falls on a weekday of the Holy Great Fast, the vespers prayer is skipped as there are no vespers prayers during the weekdays of the Holy Great Fast.

Vespers & Matins

On both Feasts of the Cross, after the priest prays “God have mercy upon us…”, the deacons perform a minor procession around the altar and around the church.

After the priest prays “God have mercy upon us…”, the deacons perform the major procession around the altar and the church with twelve stations, each station containing a gospel litany, reading, and response. This major procession is performed only three times in the Coptic year: once on each of the Feasts of the Cross, and once on Palm Sunday.

Divine Liturgy

The Liturgy is prayed as usual with the addition of the hymns of the Feast of the Cross.

Hymns

Verses of Cymbals

  • Hail to the Cross, which my Lord was crucified upon, hail to the grave, where they placed His Body.

  • The Cross is our weapon, the Cross is our hope, the Cross is our confirmation, in our struggles and sufferings.

Doxology

  • We too, the people, the Orthodox children, we bow down to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Paul the apostle speaks of the honor of the Cross, saying, "We will not boast, except in the Cross of Christ."

  • We sing hymns, O faithful, to our Lord, Jesus Christ, and bow down to His Cross, the immortal and holy wood.

  • We take pride in you, O Cross, on which Jesus was crucified, for through your type, we were set free.

  • The mouths of the Orthodox and the seven orders of the angels take pride in you, O Cross of our good Savior.

  • We carry you, O Cross, the strength of the Christians, powerfully around our necks, and we proclaim openly.

  • Hail to you, O Cross, the joy of the Christians, the conqueror of the tyranny, our stead-fastness, we the faithful.

  • Hail to you, O Cross, the comfort of the faithful, the steadfastness of the martyrs, until they completed their tortures.

  • Hail to you, O Cross, the weapon of victory. Hail to you, O Cross, the throne of the King.

  • Hail to you, O Cross, the sign of salvation. Hail to you, O Cross, the shining light.

  • Hail to you, O Cross, the sword of the Spirit. Hail to you, O Cross, the spring of grace.

  • Hail to you, O Cross, the treasure of good things. Hail to you, O Cross, to the end of the ages.

  • “Hail to you, O Cross, which King Constantine carried with him to the war and smote the barbarians.”

  • Greatly honored is the sign of the Cross of Jesus Christ, the King, our true God.

  • He who was crucified upon the Cross to save our race, we too let us also honor Him, crying out and saying.

  • The Cross is our weapon. The Cross is our hope. The Cross is our steadfastness in our struggles and sufferings.

  • For blessed is Christ, our God, and His life-giving Cross, upon which He was crucified to save us from our sins.

  • We praise and glorify Him and exalt Him above all, as a Good One and Lover of Man. Have mercy on us according to Your great mercy.

Psalm Response

  • Alleluia alleluia, Jesus Christ the Son of God, who was crucified on the Cross, trample Satan under our feet, alleluia alleluia

Hymn of the Cross

  • This is He who offered Himself as an acceptable sacrifice upon the cross for the salvation of our race.His good Father smelled Him at the evening watch on Golgotha.

Acts Response

  • Hail to the Cross which my Lord was crucified upon in order to save us from our sins.

Gospel Response

  • For greatly honored, is the sign of the Cross, of Jesus Christ the King, our true God.

Psalm 150 Response

  • Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified on the Cross

Conclusion

  • ...who was crucified on the Cross, trample Satan under our feet. Save us and have mercy on us...