SEPT 13: CONFESSION – 08:30 – 08:55 AM, DIVINE LITURGY – 9:o0 AM (LIVE-STREAMED); ALTAR SERVER TRAINING – 10:15 AM; DIVINE LITURGY – 11:00 AM; SEPT 14: DIVINE LITURGY – 6;00 PM.
PROPERS (SUNDAY BEFORE EXALTATION HOLY CROSS): 09-13-26_Sunday_DL
VESPERS for Exaltation of the Holy Cross: 09-14_Exaltation_Holy_Cross_Vespers_pod
PROPERS for Exaltation of the Holy Cross: 09-14_Exaltation_Holy_Cross_DL
Veneration of the Cross: Veneratiion_of_the_Cross
NOTE: Today’s Sunday is also know as the Sunday before the Exaltation and along with the Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross, it provides an opportunity for the faithful Christians to honor the precious and life-giving Cross and to become immersed in the mystery of our Lord’s sacrificial crucifixion. In today’s Gospel by John, Christ foretells us about His Crucifixion. He tells us that the same way that Moses raised the snake in the desert, He too must be raised and sacrificed in order for all of those who believe in Him to obtain eternal life. Christ in this gospel reading uses this example from the Old Testament, in order to help his disciples understand the events that will follow, His passion and ultimately his Crucifixion. In today’s Gospel our Lord emphasizes to us, that everyone who believes in him will not be lost, but instead, will be granted, by the merciful God eternal life. Our Lord’s words are clear: “Therefore who ever believes in Him will not be lost, but will have eternal life” (John 3,16). He emphasizes this point to show us that in order for us to be saved, His mercy and love are not enough, as we also need our faith in Him. Our faith is the one thing we have control over and is a prerequisite for our salvation.
Streaming via Facebook Live. https://www.facebook.com/saintscyrilandmethodius/
Parishes live-streaming in the Diocese can be found here: https://eparchyofpassaic.com/parishes
NOTE: On Sunday, September 13th, we also commemorate the Dedication of the Church of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Helen founded the Lord’s cross in Jerusalem. There she stayed longer and built churches in Gethsemane, in Bethlehem, on the Mount of Olives, and in other places, that were part of the life and death of the Lord. She also built a large church on Golgotha, which housed both the hill of Calvary and the tomb from which the Lord rose. She, unfortunately, died before it was finished, and the church was consecrated on this date in 335.
On September 14th, we commemorate the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mt. Calvary by St. Helena and preserved in Jerusalem, but later fell into the hands of Chosroas, King of the Persians. Emperor Heralius in 629, recovered the precious relic, and returned it to Jerusalem. This is a holy day of fasting and repentance. On this day, worshipers dedicate themselves to the crucified Lord, by pledging their faithfulness and making prostrations at the Lords feet on the life creating Cross. For the feast, the Cross is placed on a tray surrounded by flowers or branches of basil, and placed in the center of the Church for veneration. You will note that the priest will celebrate services in red vestments until September 21st, which is the final day of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
THE VENERATION of the PRECIOUS and LIFE-GIVING CROSS according to THE BYZANTINE TRADITION (from the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh): https://archpitt.org/the-veneration-of-the-precious-and-life-giving-cross-according-to-the-byzantine-tradition/
The Gospel Reading on the Feast Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is John 19:6-11, 13-21, 25-27, 30-35, which reads as follows:
“At that time, the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.”
When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab’batha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol’gotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.
So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Mag’dalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.”
When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness–his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth–that you also may believe.”
