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Holy Cross

Vespers for the Feast of the Holy Cross

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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.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy 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)

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This Sunday, March 31, is the third Sunday of Great Lent and the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross.

The readings from Holy Scripture are: John 21:15-25  (11th Matins Gospel), Hebrews 4:14-5:6  (Epistle), and Mark 8:34-9:1  (Gospel).

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
Veneration of the Holy Cross
Veneration of the Holy Cross