THE THIRD SUNDAY OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT: THE VENERATION OF THE PRECIOUS AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

The Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent: The Veneration of the
PRECIOUS AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS.

On this day the divine service of Orthros (Matins) concludes with the solemn Veneration or Adoration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross; the ceremonies are closely parallel to those at the Holy Feasts of the Exaltation of the Cross (14th September) and the Procession of the Cross (1st August). The VENERATION OR ADORATION OF THE CROSS ON THIS THIRD SUNDAY IN HOLY AND GREAT LENT PREPARES US FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE CRUCIFIXION OR OUR LORD, GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST which is spoon to follow in Holy and Great Week, and at the same time it reminds us that the whole Lent IS A PERIOD WHEN WE ARE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: as the Synaxarion at Orthros (Matins) says, ‘Through the forty-day Fast, we too are in a way crucified, dying to the passions.’ The dominant note on this Sunday, as on the two Sundays preceding, is one OF JOY AND TRIUMPH. In the Canon at Orthros (Matins), the irmoi are the same as at Holy Pascha midnight, ‘This is the day of the Resurrection…’, and the troparia (hymns) are in part in paraphrase of the Paschal Canon by Saint John of Damascus. No separation is made between Christ’s death and His Resurrection, but the Holy and Life-Giving Cross is regarded as an emblem of VICTORY and Calvary is seen IN THE LIGHT OF THE EMPTY TOMB.

HYMNS CHANTED AT GREAT VESPERS ON SATURDAY EVENING (THIRD SUNDAY OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT)

Tone Five

SHINE, Cross of the Lord, shine with the light of thy grace upon the hearts
of those that honor thee. With love inspired by God, we embrace thee, O
desire of all the world. Through thee our tears of sorrow have been wiped
away; we have been delivered from the snares of death and have passed
over to unending joy. Show us the glory of thy beauty and grant to us thy
servants the reward of our abstinence, for we entreat with faith thy rich
protection and great mercy.

REJOICE! Life-Giving Cross, the fair Paradise of the Church, Tree of
incorruption that brings us the enjoyment of Eternal glory: through thee
the hosts of demons have been driven back; and the hierarchies of Angels
rejoice with one accord, as the congregations of the faithful keep the feast.
Thou at an invincible weapon, an unbroken stronghold; thou art the victory
of kings and the glory of priests. Grant us now to draw near to the Passion
of Christ and to the Resurrection.

REJOICE! Life-Giving Cross, unconquerable trophy of the True faith,
door to Paradise, succour of the faithful, rampart set about the Church.
Through thee the curse is utterly destroyed, the power of death is
swallowed up, and we are raised from earth to heaven: invincible weapon,
adversary of demons, glory of the martyrs, true ornament of holy monks,
haven of salvation bestowing on the world great mercy.

Come, Adam and Eve, our first father and mother, who fell from the choir
on high through the envy of the murderer of man, when of old with bitter
pleasure ye tasted from the tree in Paradise. See, the Tree of the Cross,
revered by all, draws near! Run with haste and embrace it joyfully, and cry
to it with faith: O Precious Cross, thou art our succour; partaking of thy
fruit, we hae gained incorruption; we are restored once more to Eden, and
we hae received great mercy.

The SYNAXARION, that portion of the Orthros (Matins) service book which both announces and describes the observed Feast-Day for the Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, states the followings:

"On this the Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, we observe the Veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross and for this reason: Inasmuch as in the Forty days of fasting we in a way CRUCIFY OURSELVES and become bitter, despondent, and failing, the Life-Giving Cross is presented to us for spiritual refreshment and assurance, for remembrance of our Lord’s Passion (Pathos) and for comfort. Like those who are following a long and tedious path are tired, see a beautiful tree with many leaves, they would sit in its shade and rest for a while and then, as if rejuvenated, they will continue their journey. Likewise today, in the time of fasting and difficult journey and effort, the Life-Giving Cross was planted in its midst by the Holy Fathers of the Church to give rest and spiritual refreshment, to make us light and courageous for the remaining task."

Our Lord Jesus Christ comforts us who are, as it were, in a desert until He will lead us up to the spiritual Jerusalem by His Divine Resurrection. Just as the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, which is also called the Tree of Life, was planted in the Middle of Paradise, so our Holy Fathers planted the Holy Cross in the middle of the Holy and Great Lent, as a sacred reminder of both Adam’s bliss and how he was deprived of this Tree of Life, the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, we no longer die but are kept alive."

Our Holy Father among the Saints, Saint John Chrysostomos describes the Holy Cross this way: "The Cross is the proof of the agape (love) of God. The Cross is the unshaken wall, the unconquered weapon, the Kingdom of virtue. The Cross has torn asunder our mortgage and rendered useless the prison of death. The Cross has opened Paradise, it has admitted the thief and has guided teh human race from impending disaster to the Kingdom of God."

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ extends His invitation to us once again to "deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him." Our Holy Church gives us this Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent–Mid-point to Golgotha–to pause with Christ, to refresh ourselves spiritually, to assess our Lenten journey and to continue with greater determination. But the initiative is still ours. There is no way into spring but that we endure the hardships of winter. There is no way we can arrive at Holy Resurrection Sunday if we do not live the agonies of all our Great and Holy Fridays. There is no way we can achieve Eternal Life with God unless we first deny ourselves utterly and completely in Christ. This we do when we endure and sustain our own personal cross and follow Him.

The Holy Cross is the mighty and glorious symbol of Christianity, a sacred symbol whose meaning is inexhaustible. The eight-pointed Cross is the symbol of the Orthodox Faith. Christ’s Life-Giving Cross is our Lord’s unconditional agape for the human race. In the holy canon "To the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross" composed by Saint Gregory of Sinai, the Holy Orthodox Church chants, " O Cross! Be unto me the might, the strength and the power, the deliverer and foremost defender against my assailants, the shield and protector, my triumph and establishment, ever-preserving and sheltering me."

Apart from the formal occasions on which Orthodox Christianity Venerates the Holy Cross as the Christian symbol par excellence signifying LIFE rather than death, the Sign of the Cross and small crosses as articles of personal amulets have played a profound reaching role in the daily spiritual experience of the Orthodox Christian. Before venerating or kissing a holy icon, the Orthodox Christian crosses himself/herself as a sign of sealing himself/herself with the sacred symbol most indicative of his/her relationship with Christ and most protective against evil and other adversities. It is believed that Emperor and later Saint Constantine the Great won by the Sign of the Cross which he and everyone saw in the sky with the words En touto Nika (With this "sign" you shall triumph). He ordered that the banners depict the sign of the Cross and he won the battle decisively. The early Christian holy Martyrs marched to their death holding Crosses to their heart as objects not only of complete identification with their Teacher, but as sources of strength as well.

On the Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent, the anniversary of the finding of the Holy Cross by Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, is commemorated. A special brief divine service is conducted at the end of Orthros (Matins) during which a procession comes out of the Sanctuary with the priest holding the Cross high and then ceremoniously setting to be venerated by the faithful. Originally, the anniversary of the finding of the Holy Cross was set to be celebrated on March 6th, but since March 6th always falls within the Holy and Great Lent and no Eucharist can be celebrated unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the celebration of the anniversary was shifted to be observed on the Third Sunday of Holy and Great Lent.

The second occasion on which the Precious Cross is Venerated is connected with the Historic Event that took place early in the 7th Century. The Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, after defeating the Persians in 628 A.D. , recovered from them the Precious Cross and on September 14th, humbly dressed and wearing no shoes out of humility and reverence, brought the Holy Cross in procession to the Church of the Resurrection that Constantine the Great had built on the site where his mother, Saint Helen, had found it, and surrendered it to Patriarch Zacharias. The Patriarch raised the Cross before the people (it is from this that the name "The raising of the Cross" derives). This Raising of the Cross is commemorated on September 14th at a special ceremony at which the Holy Cross is raised in church, the people are blessed with it, and are invited to venerate it. {Resources: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Lenten Triodion)

Apolytikion (Dismissal) Hymn).Mode 1.

Save, O Lord, Your people and
bless Your inheritance, granting
victory to the faithful over the
enemy, and by Your Cross
protecting Your commonwealth.

Kontakion Hymn. Mode pl. 4.

O Champion General,
I your City now inscribe
to you Triumphant anthems
as the tokens of my
gratitude, Being rescued from
the terrors, O Theotokos.
Inasmuch as you have
power unassailable,
From all kinds of perils free me,
so that unto you I may cry aloud:
Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George