Dear Friends,

Today we celebrate the great feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The feast originated as a celebration of the victory of the Christian troops, who won back the relic of the true Cross of our Savior, which had been captured from Jerusalem by the Persians in the seventh century. As the Christians joyfully carried the Cross back from Persia they passed through the land of Armenia. Along the journey multitudes of believers were inspired with increased faith, and countless miracles were witnessed as the Cross was elevated and venerated.

Beyond the historical details of the feast, it is more importantly an occasion to celebrate the cross as the most significant symbol of our Christian faith and to meditate on the meaning of the cross as the instrument of our salvation. Today as we celebrate the feast of the holy cross we are reminded that the cross is not simply a decoration, but is a reminder of the great gift of our blessed Lord Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross of Golgotha. It has been said that he was born in order to die.

The following is taken from the writings of the Apostle Paul regarding the Cross:
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (I Corinthians 1:18-24)

And on account of Your precious Cross, O Lord, receive our prayers and save us. Amen.

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With prayers.
Hayr Simeon
September 16, 2007