My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
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ON 14th SEPTEMBER OUR HOLY ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMMEMORATES THE HOLY FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS (Part II)
All were uncertain as to which of the crosses was the Cross of the Lord. At that moment a corpse was being carried by to be buried. Patriarch Macarius commanded those who bore the dead body to halt, and he had the crosses placed one after the other on the corpse. When the Cross of Christ was placed on him, the dead man immediately arose, resurrected by the Divine power of the Holy Cross of the Lord. The Empress joyfully took the Precious and Life-Giving Cross and bowed down before it and kissed it as did all the Imperial retinue accompanying her. Many of those present were unable to see the Holy Cross at that time because of the throng, and they begged that they might at least see it from a distance. Then the Patriarch of Jerusalem Macarius standing on an elevated place, lifted up the Precious Cross, showing it to all the people, who cried out "Kyrie Eleison" ("Lord have mercy!"). And this was the origin of the feast of the Exaltation (Elevation) of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross.
The Empress Helen kept a portion of the Precious Wood and the Holy Nails for herself. Placing the remaining portion of the Holy Cross in a silver reliquary, she committed it to Patriarch Macarius to be preserved for future generations. Then Judas and a multitude of the Jews believed and were baptized. Judas was named Kyriakos in Holy Baptism and subsequently became Patriarch of Jerusalem, suffering for Christ under Julian the Apostate.
The holy Empress Helen commanded that churches built at the holy places in Jerusalem. First, she ordered that the Church of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ be erected over the place where Christ's Holy Sepulcher is to be found and where the Precious Cross was discovered. She then directed that a temple be built at Gethsemane where the grave of the Most Holy Theotokos is located and where her Honorable Koimisis (Dormition) took place. She built 18 other churches, and then, having embellished them with every adornment, she departed for Byzantium, taking with her her portion of the Holy Wood of the Life-Creating Cross and the Holy Nails with which Christ's Sacred Body was affixed to the Tree (Cross). The blessed Emperor Constantine placed the Life-Creating Wood in a golden reliquary and fastened one of the holy nails upon his helmet. Another, according to the testimony of Saint Ambrose, was cast into the Adriatic Sea to calm a storm, and the third and the fourth the Emperor had fashioned into a bit for the bridle of his horse, that the words of the Prophet Zacharias might be fulfilled: " In that day there shall be upon the bridle of the king's horse, Holiness to the Lord Almighty."
After Saint Helen returned to Byzantium from Jerusalem, the Christ-loving Emperor Constantine erected three great crosses in commemoration of the three crosses revealed to him in battle: the first at Rome, when Maxentius was drowned; the second at Byzantium, when Byzantium was taken; and the third at the River Danube, when the Scythians were defeated. He erected three crosses of precious materials in commemoration of these three occurrences. On them were inscribed in golden letters these words, "Jesus Christ conquers." Showing his zeal for piety to all, and as a testimony to the power of the Cross by which he had overcome his enemies, he set atop one cross the porphyry column brought from Rome, which stood in the main square of the city; the third, made of the most beautiful marble, was erected in the square where bread was sold. Here numerous miracles and signs occurred on account of the Holy Cross. Many bore witness to how an Angel of the Lord came down from heaven in Great Light at night and went round about the Cross censing and chanting with a sweet voice the Thrice-Holy Hymn ("Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal"). This took place three times yearly; during September, on the feast of the Exaltation (Elevation) of the Precious Cross; again on the seventh day of the month of May, the anniversary of the day when the Cross of the Lord appeared in the heavens; and during the Holy Great Feast of Lent, on the Sunday of the Adoration of the Cross (Stavroproskyniseos). Many devout people who lived piously saw the Descent of the Angel and heard his chanting, of which they informed others.
It is fitting also to mention that the Precious and Life-creating Wood of the Cross of the Lord was once seized by the Persians and later returned to Jerusalem to the joy of the faithful. During the reign of Phocas, the Emperor of the Greeks, Chosroes, the king of Persia, who conquered Egypt and Africa, took Jerusalem and put many Christians to death. He plundered and carried off to Persia the Church's treasure, taking, among other articles of value, hat invaluable treasure, the Wood of the Life-creating Cross of the Lord. When Phocas died, he was succeeded by Heraclius, who although he attempted to overcome Chosroes, was, nevertheless, defeated by him many times. Heraclius sued for peace, but Chosroes, his proud foe, refused to grant it. Then, in deep sorrow, Heraclius sought God's help against his adversary who reviled the name of Jesus Christ and in his pride boasted that he would destroy all Christians. Heraclius asked all the faithful to pray, keep vigil, and fast so that the Lord might deliver them from their foe and also so that the enemy might not say, "Lofty is our arm, and mighty our gods." Thus the nations would know that the Lord alone is the True God, Whose power and might no one is able to withstand. Moreover, the Emperor himself fast and prayed with tears. Having summoned all his troops, he placed his hope in God and arming himself with the power of the Cross, he set out against the Persians. When he encountered Chosroes, he defeated him and put him to flight. Laying waste the land of Persia for seven years, he subdued cities and villages and vanquished Chosroes' vast armies. Finally, Chosroes, unable to withstand the might of the Greeks, fled from his land. Heraclius made peace with the king of Persia, taking back the Life-creating Wood of the Cross of the Lord, which Chosroes had removed from Jerusalem 14 years earlier. The Greek Emperor returned to his own dominions with rich spoils, rejoicing and glorifying God for His help. (Source: The Great Collection of The Lives of the Saints)
(To be continued)
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!" -- Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George