Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord: a sign of victory. Exaltation of the honest and life-giving cross of the Lord

The Exaltation of the Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord is a holiday celebrated by the Orthodox Church on September 27. On this day, believers remember how in 326 the Cross was miraculously found in Jerusalem, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. We will tell you about the events, meaning and traditions of the Exaltation of the Cross.

Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord 2017 - what a holiday

The full name of the holiday is the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember two events.

According to Holy Tradition, the Cross was acquired in 326 in Jerusalem. It happened near Mount Golgotha, where the Savior was crucified.
And the second event is the return of the Life-giving Cross from Persia, where he was in captivity. In the 7th century, he was returned to Jerusalem by the Greek emperor Heraclius.

Both events were united by the fact that the Cross was erected before the people, that is, raised. At the same time, they turned him to all parts of the world in turn, so that people could bow to him and share with each other the joy of finding a shrine.

The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is a twelveth feast day. The twelve feasts are dogmatically closely connected with the events of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and are divided into Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) and Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). The Exaltation of the Cross is a feast of the Lord.

Exaltation: traditional dishes

If you are thinking about what to prepare for the Exaltation, keep in mind that this day is fast. Moreover, it was believed that those who do not eat eggs, meat, or milk on this day are forgiven seven sins at once.

Since the harvesting of cabbage was timed to this day, it is customary to treat everyone to cabbage dishes in the evening.

Lean cabbage pie

Yeast dough: 1.2 kg flour,
2 tbsp. warm water
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (you can ¾ tbsp.),
30-40 g yeast,
1 tsp salt.
For the filling: 1 small head of cabbage,
vegetable oil, salt.

How to cook: Dissolve yeast in 0.5 tbsp. warm water and put in a warm place. When the yeast foams, knead the dough from the specified products, cover with a towel and place in a warm place. Work twice and shape the cake.

Roll out the dough for the bottom 1 cm thick, transfer to a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil, straighten, lay the filling. Cover the top with a second layer of dough, rolled out thinner - 7-8 mm, prick with a fork. If the filling is juicy, make a hole in the middle of the pie so that it does not burst from the steam during baking.

If you wish, you can leave a small piece of dough, roll it out thinly and cut various decorations with a knife or a mold - stripes, leaves, berries, flowers, etc. The surface of the pie is smeared with strong sweet tea with a brush, decorated with prepared figurines on top, greased with tea again and baked at 180o C until tender.

After baking, lightly grease the cake with a brush with boiled water, cover with a towel and let it "rest". It is very good to put the dough not on water, but on rice broth - then the dough turns out to be especially white.
Chop the cabbage into strips or cut into squares, simmer in a deep frying pan under the lid in vegetable oil, add a small amount of water, and salt. When the cabbage is soft, open the lid, let the excess moisture evaporate and lightly brown. Fill the pie with cooled cabbage and bake. Form the pie into a quadrangular shape.

Pumpkin pancakes

Would need:

1 kg of peeled pumpkin
1 glass of wheat flour
salt, sugar to taste,
vegetable oil for frying.

Grate the pumpkin on a fine grater, add salt and sugar, add flour and mix everything together. Spread out with a spoon in a pan heated and doused with vegetable oil. Fry on both sides. Serve with honey.

Apples stuffed with beets

Would need:

4 apples,
1 small beet
1 tablespoon sour juice
1 apple celery root,
1 teaspoon horseradish
a handful of walnuts, salt, sugar, vegetable oil, dill.

Peel the apples of seeds and seed chambers. Grate the beets, cut the celery into finely and finely cubes, sprinkle with sour juice, add chopped nuts, horseradish, season with salt, sugar, vegetable oil, chopped dill. To mix everything. Stuff the apples and bake.

"Pre-Simple" salad

Products composition:

4 boiled potatoes "in their uniforms"
2 fresh cucumbers,
1 bunch of dill
1 packet of soy or lean mayonnaise.

Peel and dice the potatoes, cut the cucumber into thin strips, chop the dill and mix all the ingredients together with the soy mayonnaise. Put in a salad bowl and serve with Borodino bread.

When the Exaltation of the Lord's Cross is celebrated in 2017

The Russian Orthodox Church recalls the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord on September 27 in the new style (September 14 in the old style).

This holiday has one day of the forefeast and seven days of the afterfeast. Forefeast - one or several days before a big holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, afterfeast is the same days after the holiday.

The giving up of the holiday is October 4th. Celebration of the feast is the last day of some important Orthodox holidays, celebrated with a special service, more solemn than on ordinary days of afterfeast.

Traditions and customs for the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

What can you do

At the Exaltation, it was decided to deal with harvesting and harvesting cabbage for the winter. Cabbage parties were held with songs, games and gatherings.

Signs for September 27

The caftan with the fur coat will move, the last cart from the field, the birds flew away, and the cold will come.
Whoever fasts on the Exaltation will be forgiven seven sins.
He will take off the exaltation of the caftan, put on the fur coat.
Exaltation with zazimki does not matter, the Pokrov-Father will say something (October 14).
Exaltation is autumn to winter moves.
The reptile and the snake do not move to the Exaltation, but the bread from the field will move.
Dare, woman, about cabbage on the Exaltation day.
A good man has a cabbage pie for Vzdvizhenev day.
On Zdvizhene, the good fellow has cabbage by the porch.
On the Exaltation of the winter - the peasant does not care.

Name days on September 27 are celebrated: Ivan

The name of the day is Ivan. Characteristics of a person named Vanya
It has the meaning "Yahweh (God) had mercy, had mercy." A man with this name is distinguished by the fact that a variety of qualities coexist in him - strength and weakness, compliance and firmness, kindness and cruelty.

As a rule, those around him believe that he is scattered: he has a very wide range of interests, he takes on a lot and, oddly enough, he manages to do a lot, although there are also a lot of failures.

Ivans, born in September, are distinguished by their openness to the world, they are interested in everything that happens - politics, football, new car models, fishing and much more.

These people are very hospitable, they adore large companies, they love to receive guests and are creative, with invention, so they have no shortage of friends.

What cannot be done on the Exaltation?

According to popular belief, on this day you should not start any serious, responsible business, since they will not get a successful conclusion. You cannot go to the forest for the Exaltation, since on this day bears and snakes were considered especially dangerous.

Such a holiday is celebrated by all Orthodox on September 27 - the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, a twelve-eternal, enduring holiday, always celebrated on the same day.

Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord - a holiday that the Orthodox Church celebrates on September 27. On this day, believers remember how the Cross was miraculously found in Jerusalem in 326, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. We will tell you about the events, meaning and traditions of the Exaltation of the Cross.

What is the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

The full name of the holiday is the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember two events.

As the Holy Tradition says, the Cross was found in 326 in Jerusalem. It happened near Mount Golgotha, where the Savior was crucified.

And the second event is the return of the Life-giving Cross from Persia, where he was in captivity. In the 7th century, he was returned to Jerusalem by the Greek emperor Heraclius.

When the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is celebrated

The Russian Orthodox Church recalls the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord on September 27 in the new style (September 14 in the old style).

This holiday has one day of forefeast and seven days of afterfeast. Forefeast - one or several days before a big holiday, the services of which already include prayers dedicated to the upcoming celebrated event. Accordingly, afterfeast is the same days after the holiday.

What can you eat on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

On this day, the Orthodox have strict fasting. You cannot eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Food can only be seasoned with vegetable oil.

Events of the Exaltation of the Cross

Description of the events of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, which took place in the IV century, we find in some Christian historians, for example, Eusebius and Theodoret.

In 326, Emperor Constantine the Great decided at all costs to find the lost shrine - the Cross of the Lord. Together with his mother, Queen Helena, he went on a campaign to the Holy Land.

It was decided to carry out excavations near Golgotha, since the Jews had a custom to bury the instruments of execution near the place of execution. And, indeed, in the ground they found three crosses, nails and a board that was nailed over the head of the crucified Savior. As Tradition says, a sick person touched one of the crosses and was healed. So Emperor Constantine and Queen Helen learned which of the crosses was the same. They bowed to the shrine, and then the Patriarch Macarius of Jerusalem began to show it to the people. For this, he stood on a dais and raised ("erected") the Cross. People worshiped the Cross and prayed: "Lord, have mercy!"

In the 7th century, another memory was combined with the memory of the discovery of the Lord's Cross - about the return of the Tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord from Persian captivity.

In 614, the Persian king conquered Jerusalem and sacked it. Among other treasures, he took the Tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord to Persia. The shrine stayed with foreigners for fourteen years. Only in 628 the emperor Heraclius defeated the Persians, made peace with them and returned the Cross to Jerusalem.

How the future fate of the shrine developed, historians do not know for sure. Someone says that the Cross was in Jerusalem until 1245. Someone to be taken apart and taken to the world.

Now part of the Cross of the Lord rests in the ark in the altar of the Greek Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.

History of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

As Tradition says, the Cross of the Lord was acquired before the holiday of Easter, the Bright Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, at first, the Exaltation of the Cross was celebrated on the second day of Easter.

In 335, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was consecrated in Jerusalem. It happened on September 13th. In honor of this, the Feast of the Exaltation was postponed to September 14 (according to the old style; according to the new style - September 27). Bishops who came to the consecration from all over the Roman Empire told the whole Christian world about the new holiday.

Divine service of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, it is supposed to celebrate the All-night vigil and the Liturgy. But now it is rare where they serve all night, so the festive divine service on the eve of the holiday - vigil - becomes the centerpiece.

Exaltation is the Lord's (dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ) twelve feast day. Therefore, his service does not connect to any other service. For example, the memory of John Chrysostom is transferred to another day.

It is interesting that during Matins for the Exaltation of the Cross, the Gospel is read not in the middle of the church, but in the altar.

The culmination of the holiday is when the chief priest or bishop, dressed in purple vestments, carries the Cross. All worshipers in the temple kiss the shrine, and the primate anoints them with holy oil. During the general worship of the Cross, the troparion is sung: "We bow to Your Cross, O Lord, and we glorify Your holy resurrection."

The cross lies on the lectern until October 4 - the day of the giving of the Exaltation. For giving, the priest takes the cross to the altar.

Prayers for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Troparion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Save, Lord, Thy people and bless Thy property, giving victories to the Orthodox Christians in resisting and preserving Thy residence with Thy Cross.

Translation:

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories to the faithful over enemies and preserving Thy people with Thy Cross.

Kontakion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Ascended to the Cross by your will, the same name as Your new habitation, grant Your generosity, Christ God, exalt Your faithful people with Your power, giving us victories for comparison, an aid to those who have Your weapon of peace, an invincible victory.

Translation:

Ascended to the Cross voluntarily, to a new people of the same name, grant Thy mercies, Christ God; rejoice in Thy strength Thy faithful people, giving us victories over enemies, to help those who have from You, the weapon of peace, an invincible victory.

The Exaltation of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

We magnify Thee, the Life-Giving Christ, and we honor Thy Holy Cross, and you saved us from the work of the enemy.

Prayers to the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord

First prayer

The Honest Cross, the guardian of the soul and body, wake me up: casting down demons in your image, driving away enemies, exercising passions and giving me reverence, and life, and strength, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and honest prayers of the Most Pure Theotokos. Amen.

Second prayer

O Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord! Anciently, you were a shameful instrument of execution, but now the sign of our salvation is ever revered and glorified! How worthy can I, unworthy, praise Thee, and how dare I bow the knee of my heart before my Redeemer, confessing my sins! But the mercy and unspeakable philanthropy of the humble Boldness that is crucified upon you gives me, may I open my mouth to glorify Thee; For this, for the sake of Ty cry: Rejoice, the Cross, the Church of Christ is the beauty and foundation, the whole universe is the affirmation, Christians of all are the hope, the kings are the state, the faithful are refuge, the Angels are glory and praise, the demons are fear, destruction and driving away, the wicked and the unfaithful - shame, the righteous - delight, the burdened - weak, overwhelmed - a refuge, the lost - a mentor, obsessed with passions - repentance, the poor - enrichment, the floating - the helmsman, the weak - strength, in battle - victory and conquest, the orphans - faithful protection, widows - intercessor, virgins - protection for chastity, hopeless - hope, sick - a doctor and the dead - resurrection! Thou art represented by the miraculous rod of Moses, the life-giving source, which nourishes the thirsty for spiritual life and delights our sorrows; You are a bed, on which the Risen Conqueror of Hell rested royally for three days. For this sake, both morning and evening and noon, I glorify Thee, the Treasured Tree, and I pray by the will of the Crucified One, that He enlightens and strengthens my mind with You, that He may open in my heart the source of love more perfect, and all my deeds and my journey will overshadow You. , yes I will magnify the One Nailed on Thee, my sin for the sake of the Lord my Savior. Amen.

Icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The most widespread theme of the icon of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord took shape in Russian icon painting in the 15th-16th centuries. The icon painter depicts a large crowd of people against the background of a single-domed church. In the center, on the pulpit, stands the Patriarch with the Cross raised above his head. Deacons support him under his arms. The cross is decorated with sprigs of plants. In the foreground are the saints and everyone who came to venerate the shrine. On the right are the figures of Tsar Constantine and Tsarina Helena.

Icon. Con. XVIII century From the festive row of the iconostasis of the church in the village of Selezenikha, Tver region. State Institute of Restoration, Moscow.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Sermon on the Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Today we worship with trepidation and gratitude to the cross of the Lord. As two thousand years ago, the Cross of the Lord remains for some a temptation, for others - a madness, but for us, believers and saved by the Cross of the Lord, it is a power, it is the glory of the Lord.

The Cross of the Lord is trembling: it is a weapon of cruel, painful death. The very horror that grips us when we look at its instrument must teach us the measure of the Lord's love. The Lord loved the world so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son in order to save the world. And this world, after the incarnation of the Word of God, after the life of Christ on earth, after He proclaimed the Divine teaching in the hearing of all nations, and after He confirmed the preaching of love, proved it by death without malice, death, to which neither one moment of resistance, revenge, bitterness - after all this, our world is no longer the same. His fate does not pass tragically, fearfully and painfully before God's judgment, because God Himself entered this fate of the world, because this fate of our present has tied God and man together.

And the Cross tells us how dear a person is to God and how dear this love is. Love can only be answered with love - nothing else can buy off love.

And now we are faced with a question, a question of conscience for now, which in due time will become a question that the Lord will pose to us at the Last Judgment, when He will stand before us not only in His glory, but will stand before us wounded for our sins. For the Judge who will stand before us is the same Lord who gave his life for each of us. What will we answer? Do we really have to answer the Lord that His death was in vain, that His Cross is not needed, that when we saw how much the Lord loves us, we did not have enough love in return, and we answered Him that we prefer to walk in darkness, that we prefer to be guided by our passions, our lusts, that the wide road of the world is dearer to us than the narrow way of the Lord? .. While we live on earth, we can deceive ourselves that there is still time. But this is not true - the time is terribly short. Our life can end in an instant, and then our standing before the judgment of the Lord will begin, then it will be too late. And now there is time: there is time only if we turn every moment of our life into love; only if we transform every moment of life into love for God and love for every person, whether we like him or not, whether he is close to us or not, - only then our soul will have time to ripen to meet the Lord.

Let's look at the Cross. If a person close to us died for us and because of us, wouldn't our souls be shaken to the very depths? Wouldn't we change? And so: the Lord is dead - are we really going to remain indifferent? Let us bow to the Cross, but let us bow not only for a moment: let us bow, bow under this Cross, take, as far as we can, this Cross on our shoulders, and follow Christ, Who gave us an example, as He Himself says, so that we follow Him ... And then we will unite with Him in love, then we will revive with the terrible Cross of the Lord, and then He will not stand before us, condemning us, but saving and leading us into endless, triumphant, victorious joy eternal life... Amen.

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Altufevo

The address of the temple: Moscow, Altufevskoe highway, 147.

The old church was built at the expense of I.I. Velyaminov in 1760-1763, because the previously existing on this place "... the long-built stone church in the name of Sofia and her daughters Vera, Nadezhda and Lyubov fell into complete decay - and from this decay it all spread out ...". The new temple had a bell tower. It was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century.

The temple was closed only for a short time during the Great Patriotic War... Shrines - especially revered icons: a copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the Monk Makarii Zheltovodsky (miraculously appeared at the well of a preserved source on the border of the villages of Altufiev, Bibirev and Medvedkov).

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Chistye Vrazhka

Temple address: Moscow. 1st Truzhenikov lane, 8, building 3.

The temple was founded in 1640 at the beginning of a deep ravine on the left bank of the Moskva River.

A stone temple on the site of a wooden one was under construction for 18 years. The main throne was consecrated in 1658.

In 1701, the stone church was rebuilt for the first time. The composition of the church continued the traditions of the township construction of the 17th century. In the volume of the building, parts of the walls of the previous brick church, built in 1658, may have survived, when the territory between Plyushchikaya Street and the river was occupied by settlements that belonged to the Rostov bishop's house.

Over the course of two centuries, the temple was constantly rebuilt; it acquired its present appearance in 1894-1895. Most of the parishioners of the church on the then outskirts of the city were courtyards, artisans, and soldiers. However, representatives of the famous noble families of Musin-Pushkin, Sheremetyev, Dolgoruky also belonged to the parish. On May 25, 1901, A.P. Chekhov got married here.

In 1918, the temple began to be plundered. The authorities removed more than 400 poods of silver utensils from here.

In the 1920s, St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church more than once. Metropolitan Seraphim (Chichagov) also served here, who was shot in December 1937 at the Butovo training ground.

In 1930, the church was closed, the rector Archpriest Nikolai Saryevsky was exiled. The dome and the bell tower were broken, the almshouse and the clergy's house were demolished, and a hostel was made in the church building. The mural was painted over, and when it began to show through the whitewash, it was knocked down. But 70% of the painting survived. By the end of 2000, after the return of the Church and a long restoration, the building again assumed its former architectural appearance.

Vozdvizhenka - a street in Moscow

Vozdvizhenka is a street between Mokhovaya and Arbatskiye Vorota square. At the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries, the road to Volokolamsk and Novgorod ran along it. In the middle of the XIV century, Vozdvizhenka was part of the trade road to Smolensk. In the 15th - first half of the 17th centuries, the street was called Orbata (probably from the Arabic "rabad" - suburb).

In 1493, the beginning of the street near the Kremlin wall was cleared by 110 fathoms; in the 16th century, the church of St. Nicholas in Sapozhka (demolished in 1838) and small private courtyards already stood on the vacated site. In 1547, the Exaltation of the Cross Monastery was first mentioned. It was he who gave the new name to the street. In 1812, the monastery was ravaged by the Napoleonic army. In 1814, the monastery was abolished, and its cathedral church was turned into a parish church.

In 1935 Vozdvizhenka was renamed into Kominterna Street, in 1946 - into Kalinin Street. In 1963-90, it became part of Kalinin Avenue. Now the street has been given its historical name.

Holy Cross Monastery

The Holy Cross Monastery was located in Moscow, in the White City, on Vozdvizhenka Street. The original name is the Monastery of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-giving Cross of the Lord on the Island. It was built no later than 1547.

During the invasion of Napoleon, the monastery was plundered by the invaders. In 1814 it was abolished, and the cathedral church was turned into a parish church. The Church of the Exaltation of the Cross was closed after 1929, and in 1934 it was demolished. A Metrostroy mine was built on the site of the church. The priest of this temple, Alexander Sidorov, was arrested in 1931. He died in a concentration camp in Kem.

Folk traditions of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

In Russia, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-giving Cross of the Lord combined church and folk traditions.

On this day, peasants painted crosses on the doors of houses, put small wooden crosses in a manger for cows and horses. If there was no cross, it was replaced by crossed rowan branches.

September 27 was also called the third Osenins or Stavrov day. It was the final day of Indian summer, the third and last meeting autumn. "Exaltation is in the yard, the last shock from the field is moving, the last cart is in a hurry to the threshing floor!" "The fur coat for the caftan stretches to the Exaltation!" "On the Exaltation, a zipun with a fur coat will move!" "The exaltation will sweep away the caftan, put on the fur coat!" "Exaltation - the last cart has moved from the field, and the bird - in flight!"
The day was fast: "Whoever fasts on the Exaltation, that seven sins will be forgiven", "Even if the Exaltation comes on Sunday, and everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, lean food!" sins will be raised up! "
The Feast of the Exaltation was also called "cabbage". "Dare, woman, about cabbage - Movement has come!", "Movement-cabbage, it's time to chop up cabbage!" "The first lady at Vzdvizhenie - cabbage!" They also said: "Neither Vozdvizhenskaya nor Annunciation cabbage beats frost!" Young people arranged "Kapustensky evenings"; they lasted two weeks.

Sayings about the Exaltation of the Cross

All sayings and proverbs dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross are dedicated to the theme of the approaching autumn or strict fasting on this day. For example: "At least on Sunday the Exaltation will come, and everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, lean food!" "Movement has come!"

The signs, which are also associated with this holiday, like any other superstition, have nothing to do with church doctrine and are condemned by the Church. published by

The miracle of finding the Cross of the Lord is traditionally remembered by Orthodox believers on September 27. This event appears to be significant: seeing the shrine, many pagans turned to the bright faith of Christ, and Christians were strengthened in their love and devotion to God.

History of the Exaltation

A bright holiday has come to us from time immemorial. In the IV century, thanks to the Roman emperor Constantine and his mother, saint Equal to the Apostles Elena, Christians have rediscovered shrines associated with the last moments life path Savior.

According to legend, after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Roman pagans, the tomb in which Christ was buried was covered with earth along with Golgotha, and a temple was erected above them in honor of the pagan goddess Venus. The memory of the torments that the Son of God endured for human sins, and the miracle of the Resurrection, was diligently eradicated. However, two centuries later, Constantine, who won three battles and saw God's providence in his brilliant victories, set out to find the Life-giving Cross. He entrusted this mission to his mother - Queen Elena.

Elena went to Jerusalem. For a long time, inquiries of local residents did not bring results, but finally one old Jew, whose name was Judas, pointed to the pagan altars of Venus and said that it was there that a shrine was immured under a layer of earth. Having prayed to the Lord, the Christians began to excavate the ground at the site of the altars. Indeed, they found the Holy Sepulcher, and with it the three crosses. To determine on which of them the Savior was executed, they were applied in turn to a recently deceased person. When, after touching one of the crosses, the miracle of the resurrection occurred, the believers realized that this was the Life-giving Cross. A multitude of Christians gathered around the holy place: they appealed to Patriarch Macarius with a request to raise the Cross so that everyone could bow to him. Macarius lifted the shrine high above the crowd, and the faithful bowed down before the Holy Cross, fervently praying to God.

On the site of Golgotha, where the Savior accepted suffering in the name of human souls, at the behest of Constantine, a temple was erected. It was consecrated on September 14 (September 27 - in a new style), and since then the miracle of finding the Cross of the Lord has been celebrated on this date.

Celebration traditions

On the Feast of the Exaltation, nature unfolds towards winter: the day is shortened, the evening becomes long. Our ancestors believed that good and evil at such a moment enters into a struggle, and only the Life-giving Cross that is erected over the world is able to overcome the darkness. Therefore, they drew crosses over the doors: it was believed that the cross would not let misfortune and illness into the house. This tradition is widespread in our time. A barely noticeable cross above the entrance to the house will protect the well-being of those living in it.

On this bright day, it is worth attending a service and worshiping the cross, asking God for help and for the forgiveness of sins. The Slavs on the Exaltation made a procession of the cross around the village, asking for welfare for every inhabitant. In addition, they set up roadside crosses so that every stranger who passed by could turn to God.

It is worth remembering that the Exaltation on September 27 falls during a strict fast, and one should not indulge in excesses. On this day, it is good to cook cabbage dishes. In addition to the fact that cabbage is rich in vitamins and will bring undoubted benefits to the body, it has a close connection with an ancient tradition. Our ancestors sometimes called the Exaltation "cabbage", because on that day they began to stock up on it for the winter and arranged gatherings with cabbage dishes, helping the owners to chop its forks together. Such classes were accompanied by songs and conversations of young boys and girls: many marriages grew out of the acquaintances that took place at the “skits”.

On this day of September, people usually refuse to go to the forest: according to an old belief, a great many snakes crawl down at this time, and they are preparing to go into the ground in whole balls in order to winter there. In addition to snakes, the Slavs were wary of Leshy, who made people wander through the forest to exhaustion, or even frightened him with his cry, depriving a person of reason.

On the day of the Exaltation, it is worth reminding yourself of the great sacrifice of the Savior in the name of people and thinking about how to become better and change your life for the better. Sincere repentance for bad deeds is the first step towards this. On this day, your prayers will definitely be answered. Pray for yourself and your loved ones, ask for help from heavenly forces and don't forget to press the buttons and

Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord

The holiday celebrated by the Orthodox Church on September 27. On this day, believers remember how in 326 the Cross was miraculously found in Jerusalem, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. We will tell you about the events, meaning and traditions of the Exaltation of the Cross.

What is the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

The full name of the holiday is the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord. On this day, Orthodox Christians remember two events.

According to Holy Tradition, the Cross was acquired in 326 in Jerusalem. It happened near Mount Golgotha, where the Savior was crucified.

And the second event is the return of the Life-giving Cross from Persia, where he was in captivity. In the 7th century, he was returned to Jerusalem by the Greek emperor Heraclius.

When the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord is celebrated

The Russian Orthodox Church recalls the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord on September 27 in the new style (September 14 in the old style).

What can you eat on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

On this day, the Orthodox have strict fasting. You cannot eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Food can only be seasoned with vegetable oil.

Events of the Exaltation of the Cross

Description of the events of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, which took place in the IV century, we find in some Christian historians, for example, Eusebius and Theodoret.

In 326, Emperor Constantine the Great decided at all costs to find the lost shrine - the Cross of the Lord. Together with his mother, Queen Helena, he went on a campaign to the Holy Land.

In the 7th century, another memory was combined with the memory of the discovery of the Lord's Cross - about the return of the Tree of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord from Persian captivity.

How the future fate of the shrine developed, historians do not know for sure. Someone says that the Cross was in Jerusalem until 1245. Someone to be taken apart and taken to the world.

Now part of the Cross of the Lord rests in the ark in the altar of the Greek Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem.

History of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Divine service of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

It is interesting that during Matins for the Exaltation of the Cross, the Gospel is read not in the middle of the church, but in the altar.

The cross lies on the anal until October 4 - the day of the devotion of the Exaltation. For giving, the priest takes the cross to the altar.

Prayers for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Troparion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Save, Lord, Thy people and bless Thy heritage, giving victories by Orthodox Christians to the resistance and preserving Thy residence with Thy Cross.

Translation:

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories to the faithful over enemies and preserving Thy people with Thy Cross.

Kontakion of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Translation:

The Exaltation of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord

We magnify Thee, the Life-Giving Christ, and we honor Thy Holy Cross, and you saved us from the work of the enemy.

Prayers to the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord

First prayer

Icon of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh. Sermon on the Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Cross of the Lord is trembling: it is an instrument of cruel, painful death. The very horror that grips us when we look at its instrument must teach us the measure of the Lord's love. The Lord loved the world so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son in order to save the world. And this world, after the incarnation of the Word of God, after the life of Christ on earth, after He proclaimed the Divine teaching in the hearing of all nations, and after He confirmed the preaching of love, proved it by death without malice, death, to which neither one moment of resistance, revenge, bitterness - after all this, our world is no longer the same. His fate does not pass tragically, fearfully and painfully before God's judgment, because God Himself entered this fate of the world, because this fate of our present has tied God and man together.

And the Cross tells us how dear a person is to God and how dear this love is. Love can only be answered with love - nothing else can buy off love.

Let's look at the Cross. If a person close to us died for us and because of us, wouldn't our souls be shaken to the very depths? Wouldn't we change? And so: the Lord is dead - are we really going to remain indifferent? Let us bow to the Cross, but let us bow not only for a moment: let us bow, bow under this Cross, take, as far as we can, this Cross on our shoulders, and follow Christ, Who gave us an example, as He Himself says, so that we follow Him ... And then we will unite with Him in love, then we will revive with the terrible Cross of the Lord, and then He will not stand before us, condemning us, but saving and leading us into the endless, triumphant, victorious joy of eternal life. Amen.

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Altufevo

The address of the temple: Moscow, Altufevskoe highway, 147.

The temple was closed only for a short time during the Great Patriotic War. Shrines - especially revered icons: a copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the Monk Makarii Zheltovodsky (miraculously appeared at the well of a preserved source on the border of the villages of Altufiev, Bibirev and Medvedkov).

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on Chistye Vrazhka

Temple address: Moscow. 1st Truzhenikov lane, 8, building 3.

The temple was founded in 1640 at the beginning of a deep ravine on the left bank of the Moskva River.

A stone temple on the site of a wooden one was under construction for 18 years. The main throne was consecrated in 1658.

In 1918, the temple began to be plundered. The authorities removed more than 400 poods of silver utensils from here.

Vozdvizhenka - a street in Moscow

In 1935 Vozdvizhenka was renamed into Kominterna Street, in 1946 - into Kalinin Street. In 1963-90, it became part of Kalinin Avenue. Now the street has been given its historical name.

Holy Cross Monastery

Folk traditions of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

In Russia, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Life-giving Cross of the Lord combined church and folk traditions.

On this day, peasants painted crosses on the doors of houses, put small wooden crosses in a manger for cows and horses. If there was no cross, it was replaced by crossed rowan branches.

It was the final day of Indian summer, the third and last meeting of autumn.

"Exaltation is in the yard, the last shock from the field is moving, the last cart is in a hurry to the threshing floor!"

"The fur coat for the caftan stretches to the Exaltation!"

"On the Exaltation, a zipun with a fur coat will move!"

"The exaltation will sweep away the caftan, put on the fur coat!"

"Exaltation - the last cart has moved from the field, and the bird - in flight!"

The day was fast: "Whoever fasts on the Exaltation, that seven sins will be forgiven",

"Even though the Exaltation will come on Sunday, and everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, fast food!"

"Whoever does not fast with the Exaltation - the Cross of Christ - on him will be raised up seven sins!"

The Feast of the Exaltation was also called "cabbage"... "Dare, woman, about cabbage - Movement has come!", "Movement-cabbage, it's time to chop up cabbage!" "The first lady at Vzdvizhenie - cabbage!"

They also said: "Neither Vozdvizhenskaya nor Annunciation cabbage beats frost!"

Young people arranged "Kapustensky evenings"; they lasted two weeks.

Sayings and signs about the Exaltation of the Cross

All sayings and proverbs dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross are dedicated to the theme of the approaching autumn or strict fasting on this day.
The last birds go to the Exaltation for wintering.
Dare, woman, about the cabbage - Movement has come!

On Vzdvizhenie, the first lady is cabbage!
On the Exaltation, the caftan with the fur coat moved, and the cap pulled down.
Whoever does not fast with Vzdvizheniya - the Cross of Christ - upon him seven sins will be raised up!

Even though the Exaltation will come on Sunday, and everything on it is Friday-Wednesday, fast food!
On the Exaltation - autumn moves faster towards winter.

The signs, which are also associated with this holiday, like any other superstition, have nothing to do with church doctrine and are condemned by the Church.

g. "Foma" No. 9 2915

The Exaltation of the Lord's Cross is one of the twelve most important holidays in the annual cycle of the Orthodox Church. On this date, Christians remember the historical event of the 4th century, called the acquisition of the Cross, at which the earthly career of the Savior ended. The discovery was truly miraculous, because almost three hundred years have passed since the Crucifixion.

The Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord helps in many human troubles, therefore it is very revered among Christians.

Story

Emperor Constantine, impressed by the appearance of the Holy Cross and, as it were, his blessing, desired to erect temples on the land of Palestine, in places consecrated by the presence and pastoral ministry of the Savior, and also to find an instrument for the execution of Jesus Christ. In 326, the mother of the emperor, the pious queen Helen, went to the Holy Land with this honorable goal.

The search did not lead to: after the Resurrection of the Son of God, the Cross disappeared, most likely it was buried by the enemies of Christ in the ground in an unknown place, in order to avoid worshiping him by the confessors of Christ's faith and even destroy the memories of him.

Someone suggested to Queen Helena that the burial place of the Cross was supposedly known to one decrepit Jew who bore the name of Judas, who, as a result of long inquiries and endless persuasions, finally agreed to show this place. It turned out to be not far from Golgotha.

The Holy Tree was thrown into a deep cave and covered with garbage, rubbish, earth, and above the pagans erected their temple - with a temple dedicated to Venus and a statue of Jupiter. Here pagan rituals took place, sacrifices were performed.

By order of the queen, the pagan sanctuary was destroyed, and during excavations in the cave three identical crosses were found, as well as a separate tablet, on which the original inscription was preserved: “Jesus of Nazareth. King of the Jews. " But which of the found crosses is the Saint?

Both Queen Helena and Macarius, the then Patriarch of Jerusalem, were convinced that God would help them solve this difficult problem. And so it happened. The patriarch proposed to take turns bringing the instruments of execution to the seriously ill woman. The first two crosses had no effect, but when the third was brought up, the woman was able to stand up on her own - the ailment left her.

The second miracle happened at the same time: on the way they carried the deceased to be buried - and from the laying on of the third cross there was a resurrection. Then everyone was convinced that it was the Cross of the Savior, through which He showed miracles and the power of life-giving.

The rumor about the miraculous find instantly spread throughout Jerusalem, and crowds of people who wanted to bow down and venerate began to flow to the Cross. However, there were so many people that there was no way to do it. Then those present began to ask the patriarch to at least show the found shrine.

Bishop Macarius, having risen to the dais, three times raised above himself - raised - the Cross of the Lord, so that everyone who wishes could easily see it... And, established in honor of this exceptional event, and began to be called - the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.

Queen Helen, having fulfilled her sacred mission, brought a part of the Holy Cross to Constantinople and also the nails with which the Son of God was nailed to him.

Emperor Constantine ordered to erect a majestic temple on the landmark site of the Crucifixion of Jesus, his subsequent Resurrection and the acquisition of the Holy Cross, under the arches of which both Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher could be found.

Queen Helen for her service to the glory of Christ began to be called equal to the apostles - equal to the apostles. Emperor Constantine also later began to complain.

The queen passed away in 327, several years before the completion of the construction of the temple, which was consecrated in 335, on September 13 (26th according to the present), and the next day - 14 (27th) - became the day of the establishment of the celebration in honor of the acquisition of the Honest Tree and the appearance of it to the people by erection.

On the same day, the church remembers another fact connected with the Cross. In the VII century. Jerusalem was conquered and plundered by the Persians. Among the stolen was the Life-giving Cross... Only 14 years later, Christians were able to return the captured shrine to its historical site.

When meeting her, the same picture was observed as when acquiring: a multitude of people flocked to the celebration to worship the Cross, and in the same way the supreme hierarch repeatedly raised it up so that everyone could see it.

What does the holiday mean and how is it celebrated?

On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross, Christians not only worship the Cross, on which the Lamb of God endured suffering and torment for their salvation, they not only associate it with the great historical event... TO Every believer understands that the acquired Cross is a symbol of the victory of good over evil, the destruction of sin, the source of boundless love.

The Raised Cross is like a lamp for the entire planet, dispelling the darkness of ignorance on it. Christians from the moment of baptism have worn crosses on themselves precisely as signs of Christ's victory, protecting from evil forces. Every good deed begins with the sign of the cross. Priests of parishioners bless them, mothers bless their children. Every day we live ends with a prayer to the Cross.

There is another deep meaning of the holiday - it speaks of the time of the second coming of the Savior, when before the coming Last judgment there will be a new appearance of the Cross of the Lord - its new Exaltation. Therefore, the existence of this holiday sets people up for serious introspection and reflections on the spiritual, increased responsibility for their actions.

During the festive divine service, the priest solemnly brings the Cross to the center of the church and, having overshadowed all the cardinal points, places it on the lectern.

After this, the rite of worship of the shrine is performed: all those present three times bow to the earth in front of him while singing the festive troparion: "We worship your Cross, O Lord, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection." The cross remains on the lectern for a week, so that everyone has the opportunity to bow and venerate it on any day.

The festive day is marked by strict fasting: it is not allowed to eat meat, dairy, fish products, egg dishes... Allowed food using vegetable oil - sunflower or olive. It is too ancient tradition... According to legend, the emperor Heraclius, when the Cross was returned from Persian captivity, carried him to the temple dressed in no way in royal clothes and barefoot. In remembrance of this, they are commanded to mark the holiday with fasting.

What does the icon look like?

The plot of the icon with the name of the same name in its current schedule was established in the icon painting of Russia in the 15th – 16th centuries. It is also the most common.

The entire scene on the canvas is a crowded composition, behind the figures of which a temple with one dome is visible. The center of the composition is the patriarch, standing on the pulpit, holding the Cross above him, decorated with plant branches. The primate is supported by deacons on both sides.

The foreground is filled with images of saints, singers, those who came to bow before the miraculous find. In the vestibule of the symbolic altar, on the right, there are usually painted figures of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine and Queen Helena.

There are variants depicting miracles that occurred during the identification of crosses.

Earlier iconographic variants represent the images of Sts. Constantine and Elena either holding the Cross in their hands, or standing on both sides of it.

Meaning and photo

And although throughout the Christian world the icons "Exaltation" differ in their compositional structure and plot, for believers their meaning and meaning are unchanged. The cross is often called the Life-giving Tree, and the icon is dedicated to its acquisition - a joyful event in Christian history. And the Cross itself is perceived not as an instrument of execution and suffering, but as a symbol of redemption.

The icon, dedicated to the Exaltation, is placed in many monasteries, and the sacred buildings themselves also bear its name. In particular, in our country it can be seen in the temples of the same name:

in Altufevo (Moscow)
on Chistye Vrazhka in Moscow

How does the image help?

Before the image "Exaltation" one of the most strong prayers- to protect against all kinds of troubles, misfortunes, dangers and diseases.

The icon has miraculous properties. There are many examples of healings after turning to her with prayer. Seriously ill patients who have lost hope for healing are also healed of ailments... The Holy Cross carries its life-giving power even in the image. So, it is customary to refer to the icon in the following situations:

women wishing to have a child infertile
with bone disease and joints
with the request get rid of chronic migraines
cure a toothache
about getting rid of chronic and incurable diseases

There have been cases of healing even of people who are not churchly and who do not really believe in the miraculous power of icons.... In a fit of despair and hopelessness, they sincerely turned to the holy image and received healing.

Prayers

First prayer:

The Honest Cross, the guardian of the soul and body, wake me up: casting down demons in your image, driving away enemies, exercising passions and giving reverence, and, and strength, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit and honest prayers of the Most Pure Theotokos. Amen.

Second prayer:

O Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord! Anciently, you were a shameful instrument of execution, but now the sign of our salvation is ever revered and glorified! How worthy can I, unworthy, praise Thee, and how dare I bow the knee of my heart before my Redeemer, confessing my sins! But the mercy and unspeakable philanthropy of the humble Boldness that is crucified upon you gives me, may I open my mouth to glorify Thee; For this, for the sake of Ty cry: Rejoice, the Cross, the Church of Christ is the beauty and foundation, the whole universe is the affirmation, Christians of all are the hope, the kings are the state, the faithful are refuge, the Angels are glory and praise, the demons are fear, destruction and driving away, the wicked and the unfaithful - shame, the righteous - delight, the burdened - weak, overwhelmed - a refuge, the lost - a mentor, obsessed with passions - repentance, the poor - enrichment, the floating - the helmsman, the weak - strength, in battle - victory and conquest, the orphans - faithful protection, widows - intercessor, virgins - protection for chastity, hopeless - hope, sick - a doctor and the dead - resurrection! Thou art represented by the miraculous rod of Moses, the life-giving source, which nourishes the thirsty for spiritual life and delights our sorrows; You are a bed, on which the Risen Conqueror of Hell rested royally for three days. For this sake, both morning and evening and noon, I glorify Thee, the Treasured Tree, and I pray by the will of the Crucified One, that He enlightens and strengthens my mind with You, that He may open in my heart the source of love more perfect, and all my deeds and my journey will overshadow You. , yes I will magnify the One Nailed on Thee, my sin for the sake of the Lord my Savior. Amen.