Holy Cross

3rd Sunday of Lent: Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross

18 March 2025 at 11:45

Glory to Jesus Christ!

This coming Sunday, 23 March 2025, is the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent and the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross.

The commemoration and ceremonies of the Third Sunday of Lent are closely parallel to the feasts of the Veneration of the Cross (September 14) and the Procession of the Cross (August 1). Not only does the Sunday of the Holy Cross prepare us for commemoration of the Crucifixion, but it also reminds us that the whole of Lent is a period when we are crucified with Christ.¹

The readings for this Sunday are:

Hebrews 4.14–5.6 (Epistle)
Mark 8.34–9.1 (Gospel)

This evening, Tuesday, 18 March 2025, there will be choir practice at the church at 6:30 PM, followed by a parish council meeting at 7 PM.

Upcoming services during Great Lent:

Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts on Wednesday, 19 March, at 6 PM followed by light, Lenten potluck dinner
Vespers for the 3rd Sunday in Lent on Saturday, 22 March, at 6 PM
Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on Sunday, 23 March, at 9 AM (with Prayers of the Hours beginning at 8:45 AM)

Access our full Lent, Passion Week, and Pascha calendar here.

A Blessed Feast of the Holy Cross!

14 September 2024 at 10:30

Glory to Jesus Christ!

A blessed Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross!

O Lord, save Your people, / and bless Your inheritance. / Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians / over their adversaries. / And by virtue of Your Cross, / preserve Your habitation.
_{Troparion for the Feast of the Holy Cross}

As You were voluntarily raised upon the cross for our sake, / grant mercy to those who are called by Your Name, O Christ God; / make all Orthodox Christians glad by Your power, / granting them victories over their adversaries, / by bestowing on them the Invincible trophy, Your weapon of Peace.
_{Kontakion for the Feast of the Holy Cross}

Vespers for the Feast of the Holy Cross

11 September 2020 at 07:00

Please join us Sunday evening, June 13, at 5:00pm, as we celebrate Vespers for the Feast of the Elevation of Holy and Life-Creating Cross.

O Lord, save Your people, / and bless Your inheritance. / Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians / over their adversaries. / And by virtue of Your Cross, / preserve Your habitation. — Troparion for the Feast

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of the twelve Great Feasts in the Church and commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helen, mother of St. Constantine. For more information on this feast, see this article from the Orthodox Church in America website.

Third Sunday of Great Lent (Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross)

29 March 2019 at 06:00

This Sunday, March 31, is the third Sunday of Great Lent and the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross. The readings for this Sunday are…

Concerning this day we are told:

“… the Holy Cross is called the Tree of Life, it is placed in the middle of the Fast, as the ancient tree of life was placed in the middle of the garden of Eden. By this, our Holy Fathers wished to remind us of Adam’s gluttony as well as the fact that through this Tree has condemnation been abolished. Therefore, if we bind ourselves to the Holy Cross, we shall never encounter death but shall inherit life eternal”.
from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website at goarch.org/sunday-venerationcross