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Beloved in Christ:
"Grace and peace to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ". (Romans 1:7b)
On
Sunday, September 14, 2008, we, as a parish, celebrate our feast day,
the Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving
Cross. All Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate this special
day; however, for us, it is also the name day of our parish. On this
day, we will commemorate the finding of the Holy Cross as we celebrate
Divine Liturgy at 10:00 A.M. and then, after Divine Liturgy, we gather
for our luncheon to continue our celebration socially as we remember
this monumental event for whom we are named.
What is the significance of this feast?
It
recalls for us the finding by Saint Helen, the mother of Saint
Constantine the Emperor, the Holy Cross on which our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ was crucified. According to the tradition of the Orthodox
Church, Saint Helen was sent by her Son Emperor Constantine to the
cross and the Holy Sepulcher. Saint Helen found the precious cross and
the crosses on which the two thieves were crucified either side of Our
Lord. The True Cross of Christ was identified with the healing of a
dying woman who touched it. Saint Helen and all the faithful with her
venerated the Precious and Life- Giving Cross after which Patriarch
Macarius lifted the cross and the people said, "Lord have mercy". This
is how this great feast came to be. We keep the memory of the finding
of the Cross and we also celebrate that it was used as an instrument of
Christ to overcome sin and death and to give us victory over the evil
powers of the world.
So, let us be deeply thankful for the glory of the cross through which we gain our salvation and victory in life!
May God bless you on your journey in Christ!
With love in Christ,
+Father Felix |
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©2004
Holy Cross-Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church &
Elias Katsaros |
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