Sarx

‘PRAZNIKOM! A Glorious Feast of the Holy Cross to you! This Feast is celebrated by all the liturgical churches, Eastern and Western, as this is the celebration of the Consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Mother Church of All Christendom. Several pious customs and legends have grown up around it, yes, and they differ from denomination to denomination, but it is a Glorious Catholic Feast, and a blessed one to you! Originally the commemoration of the Holy Cross was in Lent, and so was a fast. This celebration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre took on elements of the celebration of the Holy Cross and so became a feast of the Cross outside of the fast. For some odd reason the ER have transformed this celebration into a fast day… but for the rest of us, it’s a feast!

Lord, save your people,
and bless your inheritance!
Grant victory to Faithful Christians
over their adversaries,
and by virtue of your cross,
preserve your habitation.

et God arise and let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; and as wax melts from the presence of fire, so let demons perish from the presence of those who love God and who sign themselves with the sign of the Cross saying in gladness:

Hail, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, you drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on you. He went down to Hell and trampled on the power of the Adversary, and gave us his venerable Cross, for driving away all enemies.

O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me, with our Holy Lady, the Virgin Theotokos, and with all the Saints throughout the ages. Amen.

lmighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.

Here is a wonderful Essay on the Cross.

I spent the day in Hamilton, and I worshipped at the Cathedral here in town, today. Fr Deacon Matthew Griffin preached a good sermon on the Cross as a sign of the holy in our daily life, of not letting us get carried out of contact with God’s transformative power. It amused me that he used the rabbit, Harvey, (A puca) as a sign of this. I sat right up and took notice, hearing a rabbit mentioned in the sermon. I think I shall make the Cathedral my official church-away-from-home.