Feast of the Cross
The Feast of the Holy Cross, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, or Feast of the Cross, commemorates the True Cross. On 13 September, 335, the Constantinian Basilica over the Holy Sepulchre was consecrated in Jerusalem. The day after the church's consecration, the relic of the cross was shown for the first time to the people for veneration. Later, the feast was also associated with the commemoration of the recovery of the Holy Cross by emperor Heraclius on 13 September 628.
In the liturgical year, there are several celebrations which honor and celebrate the cross used in the crucifixion. Unlike Good Friday, which is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, these feast days celebrate the Cross itself, as the sign of salvation. It is celebrated by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, Old Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans, and to a lesser extent by Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists. The most common day of commemoration is September 14 for churches that use the Gregorian calendar and September 27 for churches that use the Julian calendar, Ge'ez calendar, or Coptic calendar.
In English, the feast is called the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in the translation of the Roman Missal of 2010, while the 1973 translation called it Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. In some parts of the Anglican Communion the feast is called Holy Cross Day, a name also used by Lutherans. The celebration is also sometimes called Holy Rood Day, or by the historical names Roodmas or Crouchmas.
History
The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated every year on 14 September, recalls three events:- The finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena.
- The dedication of churches built by Emperor Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary.
- The elevation of the True Cross at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in AD 629 by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, after it had fallen into the hands of the Persian Emperor Chosroes II in the AD 614 Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem.
The Ancient Georgian Iadgari bears witness to the celebration of the Exaltation of the Cross in Jerusalem prior to the middle of the 6th century. In the west before the end of the seventh century the feast was mainly observed in Rome. However, the earliest recorded commemoration of 14 September as the feast day on a Western calendar is from the 7th century A.D.
In the Gallican usage, beginning about the seventh century, the Feast of the Cross was celebrated on 3 May, and called "Crouchmas" or "Roodmas". When the Gallican and Roman practices were combined, the September date was assigned to commemorating the rescue of the cross from the Sassanid Persians, and the May date was kept as the Finding of the Holy Cross or Invention of the True Cross to commemorate the finding. Pope John XXIII removed this feast in 1960, so that the General Roman Calendar now celebrates both the finding and the exaltation of the Holy Cross on 14 September, although some Latin American countries and Mexico still celebrate the feast of the finding on 3 May. Some communities which celebrate the liturgy in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite also observe the feast of the finding of the Holy Cross on 3 May.
Theological distinction
The Second Council of Nicæa of 787, drew the distinction between veneration of the cross and worship or latria, "which, according to the teaching of the faith, belongs to the Divine nature alone." Petavius noted that this cult must be considered as not belonging to the substance of religion, but as being one of the things not absolutely necessary to salvation. Thus, the honor paid to the image passes to the prototype; and he who adores the image, adores the person whom it represents.Traditions
According to Christian tradition, the True Cross was discovered in 326 by Saint Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, during a pilgrimage she made to Jerusalem. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was then built at the site of the discovery, by order of Helena and Constantine. The church was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross. One-third remained in Jerusalem, one-third was brought to Rome and deposited in the Sessorian basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, and one-third was taken to Constantinople to make the city impregnable.The date of the feast marks the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 335. This was a two-day festival: although the actual consecration of the church was on 13 September, the cross itself was brought outside the church on 14 September so that the clergy and faithful could pray before the True Cross, and all could come forward to venerate it.
Historically in Western Christianity, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the calendar week after the one in which the feast day occurs are designated as one of each year's four sets of Ember days. Until 1969, these ember days were a part of the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. Organization of these celebrations in the ordinary form is now left to the decision of episcopal conferences in view of local conditions and customs. The ember days are still observed in the calendar of the Roman Rite's Extraordinary Form, the Anglican Ordinariate, and Western Orthodoxy.
Liturgical colours
Red is the usual liturgical color in churches that follow such traditions.In Western Christianity, red vestments are worn at church services conducted on this day.
The lectionaries of the Church of England and Western Rite Orthodoxy also stipulate red as the liturgical color for 'Holy Cross Day.'
In Eastern Orthodox Churches that use various liturgical colors, red vestments are also worn. Yet in these Orthodox churches, the wearing of red continues for a week after the feast.
Religious orders
The Carmelite Rule of St. Albert of 1247 gives this date as the beginning of the period of fasting, which ends on Easter Sunday.This date is the titular feast of the Congregation of Holy Cross, The Companions of the Cross and the Episcopal Church's Order of the Holy Cross.
Observation in various Churches
Church of England
The Common Worship calendar, like the General Roman Calendar, celebrates the Feast on 14 September.Church of the East
The Church of the East celebrates the finding of the Cross on 13 September, and considers it to be a major feast. The Assyrian Church considers the Sign of the Cross to be the sacrament by which all of the other sacraments are sealed and perfected. Saranaya hold a shara every year in cities like Chicago, Illinois, and Modesto, California, and other parts of the world. The shara in Modesto is held every Sunday prior to 13 September at East La Loma Park, where they in remembrance of the Feast Of the Cross. People gather to feast, sing and dance to celebrate the joyous event.Eastern Orthodoxy
In Byzantine liturgical observance, the Universal Exaltation 'of the Precious and Life-creating Cross' commemorates both the finding of the True Cross in the year 326 and its recovery from the Persians in the year 628, and is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the church year. 14 September is always a fast day and the eating of meat, dairy products and fish is prohibited. The Feast of the Exaltation has a one-day forefeast and an eight-day afterfeast. The Saturday and Sunday before and after 14 September are also commemorated with special Epistle and Gospel readings about the Cross at the Divine Liturgy.On the eve of the feast before small vespers the priest, having prepared a tray with the cross placed on a bed of fresh basil leaves or flowers, covered with an aër, places it on the table of prothesis; after that service, the priest carries the tray on his head preceded by lighted candles and the deacon incensing the cross, processes to the holy table, in the centre whereof he lays the tray, in the place of the Gospel Book, the latter being set upright at the back of the altar. Those portions of the vespers and matins which in sundry local customs take place before the Icon of the Feast instead take place in front of the Holy Table. The bringing out of the cross and the exaltation ceremony occur at matins.
The cross remains in the centre of the temple throughout the afterfeast, and the faithful venerate it whenever they enter or leave the church. Finally, on the leave-taking of the feast, the priest and deacon will incense around the cross, there will be a final veneration of the cross, and then they will solemnly bring the cross back into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors. This same pattern of bringing out the cross, veneration, and returning the cross at the end of the celebration is repeated at a number of the lesser times.
Oriental Orthodoxy
Armenian Apostolic Church and other Armenian Christians
The Armenian Apostolic Church observes a five-day fast, called the Fast of the Holy Cross, from September 10 through 14 September, in preparation for the Feast of the Holy Church in view of the Holy Cross, which they celebrate on September 15. September 16 is observed as the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a feast which continues for several days thereafter. It is counted as one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church, and the most important of the four feasts of the Holy Cross. According to Armenian tradition, the first one to "exalt" the Cross was the Apostle James of Jerusalem, the "Brother of the Lord". On the Sunday nearest 14 September, the liturgy is marked with an antasdan service during which the processional cross is adorned with basil and the four corners of the church are blessed as a sign of the sanctification of the world.On the Sunday nearest September 28 the Armenian Apostolic Church and Armenian Catholic Church celebrate the Feast of the Holy Cross of Varak commemorating the third century placement of an authentic relic of the cross in Armenian soil at Varagavank. This is a cross feast unique to the Armenian Church.
On the Sunday closest to October 26, the Armenian Church celebrates the Discovery of the Holy Cross, commemorating the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena.