13/09/2026
TODAY — THE ELEVATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
September 14
Today, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Elevation of the Holy Cross, also known as the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross (Greek: Ύψωση του Τιμίου Σταυρού). It is one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church.
This feast commemorates the discovery of the True Cross, the very Cross upon which our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was crucified, by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great.
The feast also commemorates the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 335 AD, as well as the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem in 629 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius after its recovery from the Persians.
The Holy Cross holds a central place in the life and worship of the Orthodox Church. On this day, a beautifully decorated Cross is carried in procession into the centre of the church, accompanied by candles and incense. The priest then elevates the Cross toward the four directions of the world, proclaiming its glory and blessing the faithful, while the congregation repeatedly cries out:
“Kyrie eleison — Lord, have mercy.”
The Elevation of the Holy Cross is also observed as a strict fast, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls, together with Great Friday.
Today, we do not merely remember the Cross upon which Christ suffered. We venerate the Cross as the instrument of our salvation, through which Christ conquered death and opened the way to eternal life.
May we always carry the Cross with faith, humility, and love, remembering that through the Cross came the joy of the Resurrection.
WE VENERATE YOUR CROSS, O MASTER,
AND WE GLORIFY YOUR HOLY RESURRECTION.
☦️ HAPPY FEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE HOLY CROSS!
