Elevation of the Holy Cross September 14 Today we celebrate the Universal Exaltation of the Holy Cross of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. On this day in the year 326AD, the Holy Patriarch Macarius, along with the Holy Empress Helen the Equal to the Apostles, raised up the newly found Cross of Christ, chanting "Lord, have mercy" while piously venerating the holy wood. Ἀπολυτίκιον Ἦχος α’. Σῶσον Κύριε τὸν λαόν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, νίκας τοῖς Βασιλεῦσι κατὰ βαρβάρων δωρούμενος καὶ τὸ σὸν φυλάττων διὰ τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου πολίτευμα. Κοντάκιον Ἦχος δ’. Αὐτόμελον. Ὁ ὑψωθεὶς ἐν [...]

St John of Damascus On the Holy Cross   Saint John of Damascus is an important father of our Church who lived in Syria in the seventh century. A monk, but also a polymath, he was very knowledgeable in the areas of law, philosophy, music, science and astronomy. Above all, he was gifted in tying all of these disciplines with the field that he is most famous for: Theology. In his premier work, the Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, he writes at length about the importance and significance of the Holy Cross on a number of levels, as it represents [...]

Gospel Reading March 23rd (Mark 8:34-38; 9:1) Sunday of the Holy Cross The Lord said: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (8:34). What does it mean to take up your cross and follow Christ? Our cross is our conscience. In turn, our conscience is a receptacle of God's word. If we listen to the word of God that knocks at our door, then we open the door. But if we ignore it, then Christ has no way of entering into our heart. Our cross is a burden, [...]