Let all the trees of the wood, planted from the beginning of time, rejoice; for their nature hath been sanctified by the stretching of Christ on the Tree. Wherefore, now, we worship Him, lifted up, and magnify Him.
--Orthros of the Feast, Tone 8
By the mere planting of thy Cross, O Christ, the foundation of death did shake; for him whom Hades did swallow eagerly, it delivered up with trembling; for verily, thou didst reveal to us thy salvation, O holy One. Wherefore, do we glorify thee, O Son of God. Have mercy upon us.
--Orthros of the Feast, Tone 6
We are currently celebrating the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross (officially, the feast day was Sept. 14, but we continue to honor it). If you would like some historical info on this feast go here: www.antiochian.org/feast-of-the-holy-cross
Tonight at Vespers, our Relic of the True Cross was set out to be venerated by the Faithful. As the prayers were nearing the end, I began to be struck by the reality of Christ's existence. As I filed into the center of the Nave to venerate the icons and the Relic of the True Cross, I was overwhelmed by the sheer miracle of its existence and preservation. All I could do was say, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" over and over and over and over.
As I stood in line, I could almost see Christ's body hanging on the wood as He reconciled all of mankind to the Father and abolished our fear and sins. I slowly continued forward on my journey to the foot of the cross.
When I arrived, Father John had picked up the cross to hold it for us to venerate. This made it easier to kiss the sacred relic, especially for the small children who can't wait to share their love and kisses with everything that is precious. I made a prostration and was overwhelmed with sorrow, joy, holy fear, reverence and adoration. I stayed on the floor for what seemed not long enough, given the magnitude of what I was doing. As I kissed the cross, Father John gave me his blessing and I continued along the path to the icons.
I wish I could put fully into words how wonderful this experience was. What a connection to an unbroken faith it is. How wonderful it is to be Orthodox.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
> As the prayers were nearing the end, I began to be struck by the reality of Christ's existence.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. It's so tempting to try to keep God at arm's length, just far enough away so that I feel "safe" from Him, just far enough away to maintain the illusion that I am calling the shots...
There's no way to do that when a part of the Actual Cross is a few feet away, then inches away, then touching...The Church really is the Church of Real Things. Thank God.