ELEVATION OF THE PRECIOUS AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS

During the first three centuries, Christians were persecuted for their faith. Nevertheless, Christianity spread all over the world. Christianity became the oficial religion of the Roman Empire during the reign of Constantine the Great, who in 313 issued the law, called Edict of Milan, which brought an end to the persecution of Christians.

Emperor Constantine and St. Helena his mother, being true Christians, had one desire - to discover the Cross of Jesus Christ. In 326 A.D. Helena left for Jerusalem. Having asked many people about the Precious Cross, she finally found the place where it had been hidden. A pagan temple which had been erected over it was destroyed by her orders and in a cave, St. Helena found three crosses upon which the Saviour and two thieves had been crucified. She also found the board with the inscription "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Not knowing which of the three crosses was the Cross of Christ, St. Helena, on the advice of the Bishop of Jerusalem, Makarios, asked a sick woman to kiss each of the three crosses. Nothing happened when the woman kissed the first two crosses. However, when she touched the third Cross, she was immediately cured. At the same time a corpse was being brought to the cemetery and it was laid in turn on each of the three crosses. When the dead man was touched by the third Cross, he came to life again. St. Helena and the clergy acknowledged the third Cross as the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Saviour.

There were so many people present at this occasion that many of them could not come to the Cross and many of them could not even see it. The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Macarius, raised the Cross so that everyone could see it and all knelt down and prayed, saying Kyrie, eleison! which means, Lord, have mercy!

In memory of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, the following Prayer was composed: "Thy Cross do we adore, О Master, and Thy Holy Resurrection do we glorify." A special feature of the Church Service on this day is the proces­sion in which the Cross is borne aloft on a tray of flowers and placed in the midst of the Church.

This Feast Day is observed each year on the 14th/27th of September and is a strict fast day.